From Dusk Until Dawn
by Hlbur14
Summary: Sansa Narita has a dark secret that even she doesn't know. Orphaned at nine, Kaien Cross takes her under his wing into Cross Academy. Now 17, she struggles to balance herself as a human being and a creature hunted by the red eyed monsters of the night. Little does she know that the only things that can protect her of the things that ruined her life; Vampires.
1. Monster

**Okay, so I am kind of new to Vampire Knight, and I wrote a story a long time ago that got lost, and the idea has been niggling away at my head for a while now so I decided to re-write it. Give it a chance, you may like it :)**

* * *

Sansa Narita was tiny. Only nine, yet so small and skinny it was alarming. Everything about her screamed innocence; bright green eyes, adorably big and curious, short black hair that fell in oil like waves, and the paleness of her skin often fooled people into thinking she was ill. No one saw her as capable of taking care of herself, but she damn sure could. She just didn't know it yet.

Hiding under the bed of her already messy bedroom, Sansa held her breath for as long as her small lungs could hold it. Her little heart hammered in her ears, so loud she thought she was going deaf. The blood in her veins burned at impossible temperatures, racing through her body with scorching urgency. If not for the circumstances, she would have been uncomfortable; she was wrapped in thick clothing due to the awful chill outside. Beneath her thick jumper, sweat trickled down the line of her spine, the t-shirt beneath the jumper sticking to her skin.

Sansa bit down on her lip. Her fear grew intensely, blinding her momentarily with white light. Footsteps, followed by a voice.

"Little girl, you know I will find you." said the voice, soft and inviting. She saw the owner of said voice step directly opposite her, in the doorway. "My, my. A messy little thing, I see."

Her nails clawed into the wooden planks beneath her hands, splinters breaking through her tender skin. Her lungs felt like they were about to explode; very slowly, she exhaled and inhaled, making as little noise as possible. It did not work. The intruder inhaled loudly, almost like an animal. She heard the slick sound of his tongue caressing his lips.

"You do smell good." he whispered, stepping into the room. "Like... sugar, mint and earth. What a combination. You're blood, though..."

From beneath the bed, she saw the glow of red in the dim light, his eyes reflecting his lust for blood. Despite her age, she thought he was beautiful, like Prince Charming from the many stories her mother read to her at bedtime. Tall, slender, pale, his dark hair tangled as if windswept. If not for his eyes and protruding fangs, she would have felt pulled to him, like a moth to a flame.

_Never be fooled by the red eyed monsters,_ her mother had told her many times. _No matter how beautiful, no matter how kind and charming, never allow yourself to fall to their demands. _Her mother had always said she could never tell her why, simply because she was too young. What she hadn't known was that Sansa Narita was a smart little girl, and she saw everything as a puzzle that needed to be pieced together with a fine hand. She knew now, in this moment, that her mother was dead, as was her father. The blood that trickled down from the corner of the intruder's mouth proved such facts, and of course there had been the screaming before this moment.

Still, the smell of this man lured her in like a cat fancied a mouse. She couldn't define what he smelled of; everything sweet and delicious she had ever allowed herself to inhale. She closed her eyes as her mouth began to water, holding utterly still as she tried to see through the fog of fear and unnatural curiosity. She fought through the dark waters that threatened to end her, blocking the fear and forcing away the want, refocusing on the one thing that mattered.

Staying alive.

A breath teased the skin of her face, warm and awfully divine. Her eyes flew open and she gasped, swallowing down her scream with a choke. She was staring into those red, burning eyes, so bright and shimmery that she saw her own face reflected in them. The monster before her chuckled, licking his lips as he watched her shrink back with terror.

"It is rude to hide from your guests, little one." he said, his voice like silk. "Are you not going to offer me a beverage?" He laughed at him own pun, almost madly, before his arm snapped out towards her, his hands grabbing a fistful of her hair. He pulled her towards him, painfully so, and Sansa's hands darted to his hands in her hair, raking her nails against his skin. Tears pricked her eyes, her body so hot she thought she would melt, and her heart raced so fast that she thought it would burst out from her chest. She wanted to scream but couldn't, her small voice lodged deep in her throat.

The monster cradled her to his chest like she was his loved child, his arms locked around her middle. She thrashed her legs, struggled against his grip, but to no avail. His breath chilled the skin of her neck, his lips against her skin as he breathed her in harshly, like she was the air he needed to live. She felt his fingers in her hair, gently massaging her scalp with a torturous gentleness.

"It will be over soon." he breathed, his lips moving against her throat. She barely heard him, her heart still louder than anything she had ever heard, yet somehow, the voice of her mother fought through to make itself heard.

_Remember, vampires don't expect much of a fight. You must surprise them should they catch you. Don't fight them—it's a battle you will never win on your own—but once you're free, run like you have never run before._

Sansa released a long, shaky breath, and then allowed herself to go limp in the monster's arms. Despite his impossible strength, she felt the sudden confusion as he used a tad more muscle to cradle her, and his lips left her neck for the briefest of moments. She closed her eyes, acting as if she had fainted, or maybe even died in his arms. The latter was false hope, but that didn't matter. He was distracted, and in that small few seconds, she attacked.

She caught him staring at her when she flashed her eyes open again, and he never saw her hand sail towards his face, nails bared. Her mother had made sure to keep Sansa's nails long and sharp all her life, not for this precise moment exactly, but as some kind of defence against life's terrible acts. Sansa had never been more grateful. Her nails broke through his flawless skin, four lines of blood staining his face from his eye to chin. That was enough. He let out a howl of pain, releasing her, and without a moment's haste she leapt to her feet and fled the room.

She had no idea where she would run to. Her feet simply darted her down the stairs out in the hallway, so fast she nearly went flying. How funny; she had just escaped the clutches of a vampire, yet she may a well die just as easily falling down the stairs. She shook the thought away, racing to the left and towards the front door―

Only to stop dead in her tracks.

She knew the inevitable, but nothing prepared her for the sight right there by the door. Her mother, lying there on her side, her eyes closed and blood seeping from two small wounds in her neck. Cuts and bruises coated every inch of her skin that she could see. Her beautiful black hair was tangled and devoid of its usual shine, and her usually creamy skin was paler than hers. A tiny whimper escaped Sansa's lips, perhaps the beginning of a wail that simply couldn't reach her mouth. She felt something inside her snap, like a cord of self composure, and she sank to her knees in despair.

The pain she felt was like no other. Her heart seemed to tear apart in her chest, her blood hotter than that of lava, or so t felt like. Bowing her head down, like she was bowing to someone, horrible trembles racked through her small frame, causing every muscle to ache and cramp in response. Bile rose in her throat, her stomach twisting so terrible a yelp escaped her, her arms wrapping themselves around her middle as if to hold herself together.

The monster stood behind her, a hand to his cheek, a smile on his face as he gazed down at her.

"You should make this easier." he said, though she did not start at his voice. "I can end your pain. I can send you to your mother again. In a way it can save us both; let me drink, let me feed, and then I can take everything away and send you to a better place." His voice was so gentle, so much so she shivered. He spoke to her like he cared, like her wanted to take away this agony. But she knew it was a lie.

Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes hard as steel as she glared at him. Sweat glittered her forehead, her hair sticking unattractively to her skin. The fire inside her burned hotter and hotter still, until eventually it took everything she had to hold off a scream. Her body felt like it was on a ticking time bomb, moments from exploding, and the longer she stared into those red eyes, the less time she seemed to have left.

And suddenly he was screaming, falling to the ground with his hands pressed to his temples, like he was in an awful physical pain. Sansa didn't blink, only continued to burn him with her glare, imagining all the pain she wanted to inflict on him; tear him apart, stab him repeatedly, shoot him between the eyes, beat him until she no longer had the strength. The more vivid the images grew, the louder the monster screamed, thrashing so violently it looked like his bones might snap.

And then he stopped, and she stared at him with a blank expression. She threw the images away from her thoughts; what would her mother think of her for wanting such violence? Tears tracked silently down her cheeks, warm and stinging her skin. The monster clambered to his hands and knees, panting as he stared at her, the red from his eyes dimmer than before. Was it just her, or could she see fear in those wild orbs? Apparently he had been in diabolical pain, yet her mother had always said that vampires thought little of pain. They rarely felt fear, full stop.

"What... are you?" he stuttered, his lips trembling. "No human can... no _vampire _can..."

She watched as he got to his feet, though his legs looked like they might buckle from beneath him at any moment. She wanted to cause that pain on him again, whatever she had done, but she was too dazed and numb to understand _what _she had actually done, and how. Her head hurt, thudding with a migraine, something she had suffered from ever since she could remember. She hardly felt it, watching the vampire's fear in awe, for it was a sight she had never seen nor heard of. But she felt herself draining, felt her eyes droop, and it wouldn't be long before the monster recomposed himself and lunged for the kill.

She felt his anger in the air, a sudden rage that hung over her like a black cloud of thunder and lightning. She fell to her side, closing her eyes and wishing for it to be quick, picturing the face of her mother and praying that she would be on the other side waiting for her. Her heart, no longer hammering, thudded evenly in her chest, and the fire in her blood burned away.

He shrieked, lunged, and the world dissolved around her before he reached her with his hands.

* * *

Kaien Cross never expected to find what he did in the late hours of the night. He knew of the attack, that a rouge vampire had been terrorizing the streets for a few weeks now, and at last his senses found him and his malicious ways. But, when arriving to the house that reeked of blood and death, what he found made him blink, stare, and blink again.

A child, no older than nine, lay in the door way. She was a pretty little thing, despite the blood matting her dark hair and clothes, and the smell of sweat hit Kaien's like a brick to a wall. His stomach twisted in disgust at the figure lying near the unconscious girl, an excuse for a vampire, trembling and cursing under ragged breaths. He was too busy staring at the monster to notice that the girl at his feet was indeed alive.

His heart jumped a little; to the right, a woman in her mid-thirties lay in a pool of blood, the resemblance between her and the child uncanny. The mother, no doubt. There was nothing worse than approaching the body of a parent who had died defending their child, especially if the child never made it. Tearing his eyes away before images of Yuki could float into his mind, he stepped forward, passed the girl and towards the monster beside her.

He looked up, shaking violently as he hissed at him. Kaien found it strange how he seemed to be in so much pain, yet he saw not a drop of blood save the scratches on his face. Through his dark hair, his red eyes flared, glowing with a rage that seemed distant, like he was trapped behind a glass wall and could not attack. His finger slid across the ground, towards the girl's hand, already bloody beneath her long nails.

"M-monster." he seethed, moving his index finger to point, quivering as he did. Kaien cocked his head, his eyes ablaze with silent fury.

"No child can be as monstrous as you." he said through gritted teeth. The creature let out a pained cackle, chilling Kaien to the bone.

"You are a-a fool, s-sir. She w-will destroy y-you." he said, coughing slightly. He struggled, trying to get to his feet, only to collapse with a defeated gasp. Kaien watched in astonishment. Never had he seen a vampire struggle so much as this one, especially with no visible wounds, and it honestly frightened him.

"Is she alive?" he asked, glancing back at the girl lying deathly still at his heels, eyes closed, lips parted. The vampire laughed again, a slow, wretched sound from his throat. It sounded mad.

"If you t-take her, you will regret it." he said in a cold voice.

"Why?" Kaien asked harshly, stooping low and grasping a fist full of hair in his hand.

"She has a power l-like no other. I wouldn't have b-believed it had I not just felt it." he said, his eyes fading, looking at something distant. "She has the b-b-blood of fire. A power like nothing else. Only a few like her are born every c-century."

"Is she _human_?"

"Oh yes, quite human." he smiled. "I just wish I got to t-taste her."

From the corner of his eye, Kaien saw the child twitch her fingers. His heart began to beat erratically, and he cursed himself for being so soft. This creature claimed she was dangerous, that she was something else, but he could not shake the will to help her and nurse her back to health. Standing, he glared down at the vampire, his eyes venomous. The vampire only laughed, closing his eyes and licking his lips.

"Leave me," he said. "Leave me alone to die."

"Gladly." Kaien spat, drawing the hunting sword from his cane with a deadly hiss. The vampire only smiled again, looking oddly at peace, but not before he spoke the softest of words.

"She will be hunted for the rest of her life." he said. "Her blood is o-one of a k-kind."

"Goodbye, you bloody beast." Kaien said, before swinging his sword down towards the vampire's throat.

Not fifteen minutes later, he had the child wrapped delicately in his jacket, carrying her out of the house and holding her close to his chest. Thankfully, he wasn't far from the Academy, just a ten minute walk or so. The girl was indeed alive, her breathing slow but there, her little heart still pumping the blood around her body. He couldn't think about her nature, what she was, _who _she was; he just wanted to get her somewhere safe.

He burst through the gates of the Academy, panting, his grip protective around the nameless girl as his eyes darted around the gloomy grounds. Not a soul in sight; Yuki would be sound asleep, the Night Class safely in their classes and the Day Class―presumably―asleep in their dorms. Not wasting a moment, he darted for his office by the Sun Dorms, a dark shadow in the night.

Once inside, he slammed the door shut, looking around with a look of puzzlement as to where to place the child. Finally he placed her delicately on one of the two sofas near his desk, keeping her cocooned in his jacket. She didn't wake, looking peaceful if anything else.

A further ten minutes later, after summoning Kaname Kuran from his class, he watched as the pureblood vampire knelt over the girl, his eyes focussed as he examined her. He delicately touched her black hair, pushing it away from her face, as he listened to Kaien's story of how he came to find her, and what story the vampire thrust upon him surrounding the girl's identity.

"She looks human," Kaname said, before sniffing. "and _smells _human... perhaps the vampire was lying?" he turned to Kaien with a question in his eyes. Kaien shook his head.

"No, he was in pain; he looked like he _feared _her." He stroked his jaw thoughtfully. "I can't allow her to stay in that house, unarmed and alone, especially with her mother dead. She won't be safe in the hands of the police... the creature said that she would be hunted for the rest of her life."

"I will say this: she had a peculiar scent, certainly different from most human's, but I have no desire to drink from her. My fellow students, however..." The vampire looked at him pointedly. Kaien waved him off. As much as he despised his rules of biting being broken on school grounds, he couldn't deny that vampires had an instinct that could not be helped. Yuki was at as much risk as this mystery girl.

Kaname smiled then. "I believe," he said. "our little survivor is waking up."

She was, too. The girl's eyes were open, and they took Kaien, and Kaname's, breath away. They were an unearthly green, richer than summer tree leaves, so deep a green it was like looking into a pair of gems. She looked at the two of them, her expression blank, her teeth digging into her lower lip. She looked exhausted; purple shadows tainted the skin below those magnificent eyes like chalk.

"Hello, dear," said Kaien, smiling as he knelt beside Kaname. "I am Kaien Cross, and this is my friend Kaname Kuran. You're safe now, okay? Can you tell me your name?"

There was no hesitation in her tiny voice, only a heartbreaking blankness. "Sansa. My name is Sansa Narita."

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**What did you think?**


	2. Sansa Narita

**Eight Years Later**

Sansa Narita lived for novels. She could never quite understand why, but she had a theory. Living in a world that did not exist helped her escape the harsh reality of her life, and perhaps she could disappear within the words and characters. She sometimes enjoyed reading about someone else's despair, real or not, because somehow, it made her feel like she wasn't alone.

She knew that people found her peculiar. She was the mystery girl who arrived in the middle of the night, her background wrapped in secrets thanks to her guardian, Kaien Cross. She was beautiful but reserved, speaking to few people unless they were her fellow guardians of the Night Class, Zero and Yuki, and of course Kaien. And, what people found most odd, was that she _always _had a book in her hand, even when she was on duty. It often annoyed Zero, though he hardly ever turned up for duty, and Yuki never really noticed because she was busy trying to keep the Day Class in order during the changeover. Sansa would simply lean against the wall and let her eyes skim over the words before her, though should someone step out of line, all she had to do was pierce them with her coldest gaze.

She'd heard, much to her enjoyment, that many people feared her more than Zero, which amazed her. She and Zero were alike, not in looks but in personality. Both had suffered the traumatic losses of their families, both obtained sour moods, and both hated vampires. Though Sansa could, at least, contain her hatred for them, Zero hardly hid his feelings for them.

There was one vampire, though, that Sansa respected. Kaname Kuran. He had been there upon her waking up on that dreadful night, and he had promised her that no harm would come to her as long as she was here. Oddly she believed him; there was something about his eyes, warm brown and gentle, expressing only kindness to those around him. But even though she respected him, she could never understand Yuki's infatuation with him. Every evening it was like watching a puppy yawn after a chew toy, and it made her feel slightly ill. However, she loved Yuki all the same, and she knew that Zero did, too.

This evening was no different than any other. Sansa stood with her back to the wall, standing to the right of the doors holding the Night Class. She was reading a book about a girl and a boy, separated as children and were childhood sweethearts. So far, now half way, they struggled to find one another within the words, and though Sansa knew it was not a real story, her heart faintly ached for the two people who strongly believed they belonged together.

She heard Yuki yell out, and looked up just in time to see her topple over with a bunch of girls screaming for the Night Class. She rolled her eyes, closing her book and tucking it under her arm as she made her way forward. The giggling girls gave her one anxious look before moving away, and Sansa helped Yuki to her feet.

"Thank you, Sansa." Yuki said cheerfully, her huge brown eyes bright and childlike. Sansa looked at her with an amused smile.

"You truly do baffle me, Yuki." she said, grinning at Yuki's confused expression.

"Why do I?" she asked with a certain innocence tainting her voice.

"You're just so _happy _all the time. How you can keep a happy face with these squealing girls is beyond me."

"Patience is a virtue, my friend!" Yuki declared, raising her fist in pride and winking. Sansa simply giggled at her friend, gently pressing her fist to her shoulder. Yuki made a move to retaliate when the audience around them began to scream and cheer, causing the two guardians to turn their heads towards the doors, which had opened.

In moments, Yuki was lost among the girls, and a ground began to press into Sansa's back, reaching over her shoulders for the Night Class boys. She felt herself boil; she hated it when the girls did this, hence why she kept out of the way. She pushed back with force, a couple of the girls falling with a cry, but some fought back with Sansa. During the struggle, Sansa's book toppled to the ground and was kicked from her reach, much to her alarm.

"Oh dear, lost your book, Sansa?" one of the girls said in her ear, her tone somewhat mocking. "Better go and fetch it before it gets ruined." It was Kana Masoni, one of the few who actually stood up to Sansa. And, much to Sansa's irritation, Kana knew of Sansa's fondness for her books.

Sansa pushed against Kana with hard force, gritting her teeth as she spun. Kana's gray-blue eyes went wide as Sansa's hands slammed into her shoulders, throwing her to the floor. The pathetic girl whimpered, exclaiming she was in pain and accusing Sansa, but no one took any notice, making Sansa smirk in triumph before leaving Kana there.

She spotted her book a few feet away, getting kicked around as the girls moved and jumped. She pushed through them, trying to reach it, and as she fell to her knees to retrieve it, a pale hand shot out and snatched it away. In a blink she shot up right, and in the same moment got pushed from the crowd and into the open, right in front of Hanabusa Aido. He grinned, and waved her book above her head, out of her reach.

"Aido, give it back." she snapped. Aido was indeed one of the most irritating of the vampires here. Stunningly beautiful like every other vampire, he couldn't be any more cocky about it. People said that his eyes had been the most brilliant in the Academy until Sansa's arrival, the colour of blue electricity when he was not thirsty. His blonde hair, silky and swept out of his face, looked so soft that most ached to rake their hands through it. He had the face and body of elegance, stunning in every way, though his personality was quite the opposite.

He grinned at her, moving easily as she jumped for the book. "Sansa Narita, looking as lovely as ever." he said, beaming at her. She glared at him.

"Give that back, or I swear I will beat that pretty face of yours to a pulp!" she snarled.

"That's not every nice. I recall that your job is _defend _us students of the Night Class, not insult them." His icy eyes gleamed with mischief, his grin all mockery and his body shaking with inner laughter.

"Give. It. Back." she said, emphasizing each word with a hiss.

"What's the magic word?" he said, waving the book around above his head. Over his shoulder, Sansa saw someone familiar and smiled, placing her hands on her hips.

"Kaname." she said simply. He frowned, the word 'what' beginning to form on his mouth, and Sansa grinned when Kaname Kuran snatched her book from Aido's grasp, handing it to her with a kind smile. She took it, not too forcefully, and smiled her thanks while her eyes laughed at Aido.

"Come along, Aido." Kaname said calmly, indicating that he move ahead with his chin. Yuki appeared at Sansa's side, gazing up at Kaname in awe. Sansa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Most of the Night Class, she noticed, had moved on towards their class, and only Kaname remained. Most of the girls had retreated now, thankfully. Kaname gazed fondly at Yuki, though his words were directed at Sansa.

"Forgive Aido's actions, Sansa." he said softly. "I will punish him for taunting you."

"Oh, no." Sansa said despite herself. "I can put up with Aido. Thank you anyway." He nodded, and she moved away, feeling like she was intruding on something intimate between himself and her friend Yuki. Should could never understand it. The way he looked at her was like things she had read in books; eyes seeing nothing in the world but her, his entire being devoted to her, and Yuki with her googly eyes was utterly hopeless under his gaze. Sansa silently admitted to herself regularly that she was jealous, simply because she wanted someone to look at her like that.

She was troubled, but she was still human.

She wondered where Zero was, though she could hazard a guess. He was more than likely in the stables, with his favoured horse, snoozing in the hay. That horse was a monster, always so protective of that boy. No one could get near it without it rearing, no one but Zero. Not fancying a blood bath before nightfall, Sansa ambled her way towards her dorm room, where she could wait at least an hour before she went on patrol.

She pondered over the life she had grown to like here. It wasn't so bad, guarding the vampire during the changeover, walking the grounds at night and spending time with Yuki. Somehow, despite her past, she had made a life here, a life where she could mostly be happy. Eight years it had taken to get her to this point of near content, and she often wondered if that little frightened girl was still alive somewhere, deep in the walls of her mind. It had taken a long time to fully recover; now she barely remembered the vampire's face who ruined her life, only his red eyes. In fact, everything before waking up in Kaien's office was a bit of a blur now, for it had happened so quickly that her brain seemed unable to keep the memory embedded—or maybe it just wanted to forget all together.

There had been a few occurrences during her childhood that made her think about running away from time to time. One memory in particular haunted her, fresher and more vivid than that horrid night, and she had nearly lost her life this time, too.

She'd been twelve, having been at the Academy for three years. At the time she liked to wonder around the wooded areas of the grounds, away from other people, and sometimes she climbed the walls and disappeared into the night for hours on end. She never wondered far; she just liked the element of freedom, away from vampires and closer to a more human society. On one specific night, Yuki had followed her.

There was an old house up town, away from the main buildings and people, and for years it had been left abandoned. It was there that Sansa liked to vacate to, where she knew no one would bother her because everyone thought the place was haunted. Perhaps it was, but a ghost had yet to bother Sansa during her nightly visits.

The attic of the house had a whole in the ceiling, always in line with the moon out in the distance. Sansa would sit and watch all night sometimes as the moon moved across the sky, and she would then return home just as dawn broke out. She often saw the Night Class returning to their dorms, which at the time had unnerved her for the fear that they would attack her. It had taken her a while to trust them, yet _trust _was a strong word. At one point or another, she's gained a respect for them, but nothing more.

On this night, Sansa had done nothing out of the ordinary. She took her seat in the open area, the cool breeze tickling her face as the moon moved between the gray clouds against the navy blue sky. It was beautiful, especially when the stars were out, and she could somehow get lost within those stars. Dreams hung in the sky, wishes children made in their bedrooms at night, prayers going out to whoever lay beyond the beauty of the sky. It was a tender, intimate thought, and it had soothed her.

"_What are you doing out here, Sansa?_" Yuki had demanded, coming out from the shadows of the attic. Sansa had jumped with a start, swivelling to face Yuki with a look of utter fright, her heart in her mouth.

"_What are _you _doing here?_" she'd shrieked, her hand at her heart, her breaths measured. Yuki, back then, had been so curious it was irritating. On the day that Sansa arrived she had done nothing but stare at her and ask her questions, but she had also been kind to her, so it was rare for Sansa to snap at her. But when Yuki pulled stunts like that, sneaking up on people in the middle of the night, it was easy for her to lose her temper with the girl.

"_I followed you because I wanted to know where you go every night!_ _It's spooky out here, Sansa!_"

_"Have you never heard of privacy, Yuki?_"

_"I have, but I never take any notice._ _Come on, come home, Kaien will be worried if he finds us missing." _

_"You go, you chose to follow me." _It was in that moment that Sansa saw something move behind Yuki, saw the red that still haunted her dreams at that time. Yuki had froze, seeing the change in Sansa's expression, and her eyes flicked left and right.

"_What is it?_" she'd asked, her voice small. Sansa had stayed as still as a statue, trying to locate the movement, her body screaming at her that there was an intruder in the house. Her blood always boiled when there was some form of danger; it had happened three years before, and it was happening again.

"_You're right," _Sansa had whispered. _"We should go." _

_"Naughty girls." _said a voice, low and sounding awful, like the kind of voice a snake would make should it be able to talk. _"Out after dark. Did your mommy and daddy not tell you about the monsters that come out in the dark?" _

"_Leave us alone."_ Sansa had snapped, Yuki darting over to her and clutching to her arm like a lifeline. The two girls had clung to one another, utterly frightened, their only escape through the doorway ahead of them where the voice lingered. He tutted at them from the darkness, before breaking out into laughter.

And then he was right behind Sansa. _"No..." _he'd whispered, and not a moment was wasted before the two took off running for the door, screaming for help as Sansa desperately pushed Yuki ahead, for the girl was shorter than her and wasn't able to run as fast. Eventually, after shooting down the stairs, Sansa had gasped Yuki's hand and yanked her along behind her, flying through the front door of the house and into the open.

The monster had given chase, only to stop dead in the doorway. Sansa and Yuki had ran straight into that of Kaname, Aido and another Night Class boy called Takuma Ichijo. Ichijo had quickly grasped the two girls and shielded them behind him, obscuring their view with his legs. Aido had stepped closer to him, the two boys creating a protective wall while Kaname stepped forward, addressing the monster with a cool voice that Sansa could not bring herself to listen to. She had simply held Yuki's whimpering form, frightened herself but refusing to show it.

When Kaname had gone in for the kill, stalking towards the now cowering vampire, Aido and Ichijo herded the two girls back towards the academy, eventually carrying them home for they would not move quickly enough. Despite herself, Sansa had clung to Aido as he raced her back to safety along side Ichijo, her nails digging into his shoulders. He never complained though, not once.

She and Yuki, nor the members who had saved them that night, had never spoken of the incident. No one blamed Sansa for it, though she had led Yuki straight into the path of danger. Kaname was horribly forgiving, saying that she had at least tried to save her life rather than abandon her there. He'd told her that, should he never be around to do it, he trusted Sansa with his life to keep Yuki safe.

No pressure.

Now, pulling herself out of her reverie, she wondered what her life would bring next. She felt the danger all around her, closing in on her, waiting for the right moment. They say that the third time in something is lucky, but maybe in Sansa's case, the third time something happened could mean she would have no one around to save her. She hated to believe that she needed saving, especially now that she could fight, but that didn't mean she longed for someone who valued her life, who wanted her alive because they couldn't imagine their life without her in it.

Sansa sighed, slipping her knives into the sheaths on her thigh, just below her skirts. Ever since the night her mother died, Sansa knew she would never be the same. What she had done, whatever that was, meant she had a gift that she could not unlock. She'd overheard the vampire talking to Kaien before he died, telling him that she would be hunted until she was dead and dry of her blood. No one knew she knew, but they didn't have to. Sansa had to be ready for an attack. It had been five years since the last, and if her books taught her anything, there was only so long that luck stayed on your side.

* * *

**Thoughts? :)**


	3. Black Waters

Aido Hanabusa thought back to a time of confusion and irritation during his deathly boring class. His chin propped in his palm, he gazed blankly at the rambling teacher and released a bored sigh. His cousin, Akatsuki Kain, sat beside him with drooping eyes, clearly paying little attention to the class at hand. It was only natural for Aido's mind to wonder when even his cousin was bored senseless.

Five years it had been, now. Five years watching over that strange green-eyed girl with the same haunted expression every day. He could never quite understand what was so special about her, though Lord Kaname insisted she was important and needed protecting. Part of Aido resented this; first Kaname's infuriating fondness to Yuki, and now this bizarre behaviour over a child found in the late hours of the night.

He did find her peculiar, though. Rumour had it that she had killed a vampire on the path to becoming a Level E, or rather heavily wounded it. She'd been nine years old, lying a few feet from her dead mother with the vampire just a few feet away from her, gasping for life and cursing the girl in his dying hour. He often wondered how strange that would have looked to the headmaster, seeing a vampire fearing nothing more than a human girl. Aido, though he hated to admit it, could only presume he would never find out the truth of that night, and tried to convince himself that he did not care.

Then, five years ago, Lord Kaname ordered himself and Ichijo to accompany him on an outing, proclaiming that Yuki Cross and Sansa Narita had disappeared and that he needed help in tracking them. At the time Aido had found it odd but of course did not question him. Why would he? Ichijo, having the same confused green gaze, also followed without protest, perhaps even curious as to what the night would bring.

After a short time sniffing the children out, he'd caught the scent of a lustful vampire, sparking anger and shame in him as it always did. Aido was often tempted by blood, of course he was, but he never went on a relentless hunt to find and feed from humans, ultimately killing them. He stepped out of line continuously, but he would never bring shame to Lord Kaname and his beliefs in peace between vampires and humans. And, though he would also never admit it, he found it sickening when children were a prime target.

They'd arrived at an abandoned house far from the Academy, just in time to see the two girls fleeing through the old, rotting door with the vampire hot on their heels, in the midst of reaching for Sansa's flying hair. He'd frozen, of course, upon the sight of Aido and his companions, distracting him as the children took cover behind Aido and Ichijo.

_"How dare you," _Kaname had snarled, his voice like venom. _"How dare you hunt these children, you bring shame to your fellow vampires."_

The red-eyed rouge had stuttered something of fright, beginning to cower as Aido and Ichijo hid the girls from the scene unfolding. Aido had slightly feared Kaname when he advanced on the rouge, his own eyes shining red with anger, his hands reaching for the monster at his feet.

_"Please... I am so thirsty..." _the vampire had whimpered, clasping his hands together like he was praying. His nails were long, sharp and bloody, the old blood smelling sour in Aido's nose. In fact, the entire creature had smelt wrong, smelling of madness and fright and stale blood. He'd hoped to God that the children could not smell it as clearly as he had.

_"Take the children." _Lord Kaname has said sternly, advancing further. They did not need to be told twice. Quickly, both Aido and Ichijo had rushed the girls away, ushering them to run, but eventually the screaming began and the children needed to get carried. Without a thought Aido had scooped Sansa into his arms and fled, holding her tightly as she whimpered in his arms, smelling sweet and earthly. He'd felt the burn in his throat, felt the thirst rise painfully, but he'd pushed it down with great force, refusing to disappoint Lord Kaname.

Later that night, when the girls were safely in the headmaster's office on the sofas, shaking but sleeping, Aido and Ichijo waited for Lord Kaname to return with Kaien Cross. When he had, cleaning foul blood from his hands with a cloth, he looked at Aido and Ichijo with a cool smile, before looking at the girls with a certain tenderness.

"_Sansa Narita is very important." _he'd said softly. "_She must be protected."_

_"Why?" _Aido had demanded irritably, glaring at the slumbering girl.

_"She has a secret. Something in her blood is different. It is too dangerous for her to be out alone; we have been led to believe that she will be hunted for her blood for the rest of her life."_

That had confused Aido. Yes, there was something different about the smell of the little human, though he could not be certain unless he actually smelled her blood, not her skin. To him she smelled like a distant meal in the process of being cooked, enough to make his mouth water but not to make him drink from her with little control. Images flashed in his mind's eye; her blood trailing down her neck, hot and invited, and again his throat burned. He'd longed deeply for blood tablets right then.

The headmaster had cleared his throat. "_There was a reason Kaname called you out tonight." _he'd said. "_A test."_

_"A test?" _asked Ichijo, speaking for the first time. _"A test for what?"_

_"A test to see whether you are worthy to protect this child, and perhaps Yuki for that matter. Kaname sensed the vampire was on the hunt, and we both thought that you two would be good to test first." _Kaien had said with a smile, a trusting smile that seemed odd on his mouth. Aido had looked at the girl again, frowning, unable to see the difference between her and the rest of humanity. She was just as plain as Yuki, yet even she got the special treatment. Was everything going soft on orphaned human girls?

_"Alright." _he'd said despite himself, followed by a curt nod from Ichijo at his side. Kaname had smiled, Kaien had grinned, and the last five years had been a plain ordeal.

Aido pulled himself from the memory, glancing around the class and their bored expressions. Everyone in here was assigned to keeping Sansa Narita safe, as well as keeping their hands off Yuki Cross, and it honestly baffled him. A whole class of vampires, devoted to one human girl, including himself. How was that possibly? How was that _sane? _And, with all this hassle to get everyone on board, nothing out of the ordinary had happened to the girl in five years. What was the point?

He often had these thoughts when he was bored. He hated things that he couldn't understand. It was like a jigsaw with a missing piece, the hunt for that piece excruciatingly irritating. Sansa was the puzzle that simply could not be completed, and it sometimes infuriated him.

He wondered what her blood tasted like, whether that would hold the answers.

"Here." Kain said beside him, handing over a glass with red liquid. Aido glowered and swallowed; indeed his throat had begun to burn. Begrudgingly he took a sip, the liquid nowhere near as gratifying as real blood but enough to relinquish his thirst.

From the corner of his eye, he saw movement out of the window. Lord Kaname was already in the window, a small smile on his face as he watched the movement. Aido looked on carefully, and watched as Sansa and Yuki ran along the wall, laughing and testing one another's balance. He expected Lord Kaname to at least flinch with what happened next, but he didn't; Yuki lost her footing, about to fall, only for Sansa to yank her back and down from the wall, a massive grin on her face as she laughed and pointed at Yuki. Yuki only scowled, blushing, before taking off into a run again, her eyes skimming the land in search of misbehaving Day Class students. Sansa ambled behind, a skip in her step, her expression now calm and dreamy.

Aido looked back down at the table, glaring at his hands. _Why _were they both so important? In frustration, he drained the remainder of his glass and doodled furiously into his sketchbook, annoyed that not only did he want to know, but also annoyed because he cared.

* * *

Sansa could feel the gaze of someone on her, the way she could always feel it. If the gaze of a vampire fell on her, with venom or with neutrality, she could always feel it. It felt like ice running along her skin, prickling almost painful. Her heart would always beat a little faster with nerves, and of course her stomach with do small flips of nausea. She wanted to believe that this was normal, that everyone felt like this when someone was watching them, but she knew she was kidding herself. These vampires here in the Academy were Level B, reasonably controlled and hardly wild. That's when she felt the chill, her body telling her that she should be wary more than anything. However, when she was even in the presence of a vampire travelling to a Level E class, her blood would boil, her heart would pound, and her legs would start running.

She had always known there was something wrong with her. She longed to know _what, _exactly, was wrong her with her, because she would never know who she was if she didn't know what she was. Something in her head was wrong, perhaps missing a screw or obtaining an extra one, though she couldn't be sure. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had a sense for vampires, and a power that somehow had driven one mad with agony eight years ago. To this day, she could not remember how she did it. All she knew was that she was furious one minute and then completely drained the next.

What had that vampire said? That she had the blood of fire. That if Kaien took her in, she would destroy him and everyone else. What did that mean? Was she some kind of human weapon? It sounded ridiculous, but she couldn't think of anything else. She didn't want to believe it was true, though. Who wanted to be a human weapon, another kind of monster? Was she... _worse _than vampires?

She shook the thought away vigorously. She couldn't think like that. A vampire had slaughtered her mother and tried to attack her, so how could she be worse than that?

Sitting in the tree, quietly waiting for the sun to rise, she decided that she had been in her head for too long. Tonight was one of those nights where she decided to leave her books on the shelves, that sometimes you could only have so many stories running through your mind at once. A part of her regretted it. Maybe she could go and find Yuki again, or Zero. The three had split off to cover more ground, though tonight appeared to be a bit of a bore.

"Where's Yuki?" asked a voice, and as if her thoughts had been read, Zero stood on the ground, below her dangling legs. He was beautiful, at least for a human. His odd silver hair and lilac eyes were intriguing, mystifying, holder darker secrets that Sansa had no desire to unfold. She admired his good looks; his hard eyes, the sharp jaw, the perfect curve of his throat, the long, tall frame of his body. In his uniform he looked handsome, the clothing sharpening every angle of his body. Broad shoulders, the muscle of his chest and stomach, and the power in his long legs.

He was as beautiful as he was frightening.

Sansa shrugged good-naturedly. Yuki never stayed in the same place, she had probably found trouble somewhere with the Day Class students, and apparently Zero had the same thought.

He sighed, lowering his gaze. "That girl is useless."

"Be nice." Sansa said, though her tone was teasing. "Yuki tries too hard, whereas you don't try at all. Give her some credit."

"I have no credit to give when she spends most of her time making googly eyes at Kaname." he said coldly, shuddering ever so slightly as he did. Sansa giggled quietly.

"Anyone would think you were jealous, Zero." she taunted. The puzzles that came with life were in her nature to unravel, and it didn't take long over the last four years to know that Zero had an eye for Yuki. He waved her away, he mocked her, he taunted her about Kaname, but deep down, his eyes truly cared for the blind-sighted girl he spent most of his days with. It was admirable and sad at the same time; Yuki never seemed to notice Zero's eyes on her, the small smiles he tried to suppress when she was clumsy and tripped up over her own feet. Sansa knew she was walking through dark waters by teasing Zero about such things, yet somehow she couldn't bring herself to be careful around him. Zero was not a soft soul, unlike Yuki. Yuki spoke of her past freely because she could remember little of it, whereas Zero...

His eyes snapped back to her, but he said nothing. His lips thinned, and stuffing his hands in his pockets, he shuffled away into the gloom. After a moment, he said: "You coming?"

Sansa fell from the tree with an easy grace, falling into step beside Zero as they lapsed into their usual, comfortable silence. No words needed to be spoken between them, because they understood one another that words could not demonstrate.

Sansa thought back to when Zero first came to Cross Academy, wrapped in a jacket far too big for him, his eyes as bleak as a rain storm. Yuki, under instructions from Kaien, took Zero away to clean him, though Sansa saw him again a little later, sitting in the corridor outside his room within the headmaster's residence. At the time, Kaien insisted that she stay there for her own protection, up until she attended the classes and could move to the Sun Dorm. So, naturally, she and Zero were going to cross paths eventually.

She'd sat opposite him, staring at him for a long, long time. He hadn't looked as if he noticed her at all, looking down at his lap with the same bleak expression he had arrived with. He'd looked so alone it was painful to look at, and his silence was oddly deafening.

_"It gets better, you know." _Sansa had said so softly she thought he didn't hear her at first. But he'd blinked and looked at her steadily, remaining silent but intent on her all the same. _"I promise you that it does. You never forget, but it weighs less as the years go by." _

She'd said nothing more, rising to her feet and leaving him in the corridor. She'd spoken her truth, because really, the loss of her mother certainly lost its weight every year. The burden on her shoulders slowly fell away like ashes in the wind, dying away the memories and surfacing the new questions that now haunted Sansa every day.

Zero treated her with a neutral respect ever since that night. He treated her a little more distantly than Yuki, but he didn't ignore her completely like he did with most. He would stand up for her when need be, and he would often share a joke with her here and there, and he was most kind when the three of them were together. Yuki seemed to lift his own burden ever so slightly with her presence, and if she knew it or not, Sansa was grateful all the same. Like everyone touched by a killer, Zero deserved to forget.

Twenty minutes later, they found Yuki bickering with a group of girls hanging below the trees in the gardens, watching the main building and the Night Class within. She heard Zero groan in irritation, and Sansa followed suit when her eyes landed on the red-headed Kana Masoni. The girl's malicious grey eyes found her emerald orbs and glared furiously, quickly hiding the camera in her hand behind her back. Sansa rolled her eyes and felt her stomach twist with a deep disgust.

"You do realise that taking pictures of the Night Class is _creepy, _don't you?" she said calmly, stalking closer to join Yuki's side, whose entire frame seemed exasperated.

"Nothing to do with you, freak." Kana snapped, but her words had lost their sting long ago. "If I want to admire the love of my life, then I will!"

"The love of your life?" Zero said, the mockery thick in his tone. "Let me guess: Hanabusa Aido. You do know he probably doesn't know you exist, right?"

"_Humph!" _Kana turned her head, muttering something to her three companions, who only giggled and stared at Sansa.

"Get to your dorm, or I swear to God I will ban you from ever seeing the Night Class again." Sansa snarled. They only laughed, and she resisted the urge to grasp the one of two knives in her hidden sheath.

"You can't do that, you're not the headmistress of the academy." Kana seethed, her eyes glittered with malice. "Besides, who would listen to _you? _Tell us, do you ever find your mommy in your dreams?" These words _did _sting, like a million needles attacking her heart. She spoke the words so softly there was a mocking tenderness, and it took everything Sansa had not to lose her temper.

Zero and Yuki stepped forward them, both of their expressions sour, their glares sharper than a shining blade.

"Go back to your dorm," Yuki said slowly. "and you won't have the headmaster calling you all into his office in the morning."

"Or," Zero said. "you can stick around here, and I will call him down right now to have you all expelled."

Hesitantly, the girls stalked off in the direction of the Sun Dorms, but not without Kana spitting final words to Sansa. "Hope your dreams are kinder tonight, Narita." Zero made a false lunge, and the girls squealed and sprinted away into the darkness. A moment later, their laughter echoed hauntingly into the night, making Sansa's skin prickle. Yuki tenderly touched her arm, her big eyes softer than usual, and Sansa hated the pity that swam within them.

"Are you alright?" she said.

"I-I'm fine. Just fine." she said too quickly. Cursing herself, she began to depart. "I'll see you later. Um―" She ran then, needing to get away from those horribly sympathetic eyes, needed to clear her head and be alone. Yuki called out to her, possibly tried to chase her, but she heard Zero murmur something and soon, Sansa was all alone in a glooming hall of the main building.

She hugged herself, trembling, ridding her head of the woman now without a face, the woman who was once her mother. That hurt, not being able to remember her face, only her body lying in blood. She couldn't remember her voice or her laugh or the colour of her eyes, nor the length of her hair or the tone of her skin. That was a kind of agony that twisted her heart to the point she thought it stopped beating, making her gasp with fear. She fell to her knees, holding herself together physically and mentally, taking ragged breaths to try and calm herself.

"Sansa?" someone asked, their tone worried behind her. She gasped again and leapt to her feet, spinning to see that she was indeed not alone. Two members of the Night Class stood in front of her, and the gloom momentarily stopped her from recognising them. Then―

"Aido, Ichijo, what are you doing out of class?" The beautiful boys smiled at her question, amusement dancing in Aido's eyes at the started tone she used. Even in the low light, his eyes glowed almost violently, colder than ice but as stunning as crystal. Ichijo was lovely, too, though his features were less breathtaking. His eyes were a nice green, a little dimmer than Sansa's, but bright and shimmery all the same. His face in general was kinder, his smile gentle. His hair was plain, lacking the golden tint that Aido's had, and was less styled. Between the two, he looked more human.

"We heard those cruel words that Day Class student said to you, and then saw you collapse here. Kaname asked us to see if you were alright. Are you?" Ichijo said, his voice as gentle as his smile. Suddenly, a wave of embarrassment washed over Sansa, causing her cheeks to flame. _Dammit. _

Both boys went rigid, their eyes on her face, and she saw them both swallow forcefully at the same time. Quickly, she said: "I'm alright. I'd better go..."

"What smell is that?" Aido asked almost casually, though there was a faint strain in his voice. He smiled, cocking his head at her. "Mint? I smell mint. And... soil, like fresh earth. You smell oddly nice, Sansa."

"And you smell sweet." Ichijo said, though he instantly looked as if he regretted it. His fists clenched, and out of all the vampires Sansa had come across, Ichijo had always been well composed until now. Her heart hammered, her blood beginning to heat up, and she knew that if she stayed for much longer, she was in deep trouble.

"Come closer, Sansa." Aido said, beckoning her with his finger while he took a step closer to her. "Let me smell you up close."

"No." Sansa spat, her voice amazingly calm. Aido grinned.

"I scare you."

"You do, actually." she agreed. "Keep those dirty fangs in your mouth, Aido, or I swear I will break your neck like a twig." He laughed openly then, while Ichijo stood motionless behind him, aghast on what was unfolding.

"I would love you see you try, girly." he chuckled, taking another step closer. Her pulse beating loudly in her ears, she took a retreating step, looking around for an escape route.

"Go back to class, both of you, or―"

"Or what?" Aido said, his eyes brighter than ever.

"Aido." Ichijo said finally, his eyes now refocused as he stepped toward his companion, grasping his upper left arm. "Do as she says. Kaname will be furious should he find out you are threatening the poor girl."

Aido's eyes widened, as if he were genuinely shocked. "_Threatening? _Excuse me, but _she _threatened _me_. I only wanted to smell her!"

Suddenly, Sansa dropped, her knees buckling from beneath her as if someone had knocked her cleanly off her feet. Her hands flew into her hair, grasping her skull as a blinding pain seared through her brain, shattering it, bringing an agony she had never felt before. She saw nothing, felt nothing but white pain, and heard nothing but her agonized screaming. Her skull, if must have been cracking, crumbling in on her brain, making her thoughts bleed until it came from her nose, eyes, ears and mouth. Oh God, was she _dying? _Deeper and deeper the pain came, harder and sharper with each blast of fire in her head, and she screamed so loud her throat became hoarse.

And then it went away so quickly it knocked the breath out of her, and she felt herself go limp in a pair of arms waiting for her fall, catching her and lifting her. She closed her eyes, and saw a black sea, pulling her under, taking her from life as she knew it, filling her mouth and lungs until she couldn't breathe.

She went limp, and the last thing she heard was her name.

* * *

**Please review!**


	4. Blank

**Chapter Four! Thanks for reviewing, following and favouriting! :D**

* * *

"Pretty thing, isn't she?" said Ruka Souen, her expression impassive as she looked over Sansa, bending elegantly over the back of the sofa. She reached out a delicate pale finger, brushing a lock of black hair from the girl's face. Aido watched silently, Kain by his side, and he wasn't sure what to think. Sansa was out cold, dead to the world and had been for the last half hour. If not for the solid beat of her heart, she almost looked dead. The colour from her skin had drained, her body dead weight and her breathing agonizingly slow.

"She could pass for a vampire, if not for the beating of her heart." Ruka continued, her fingers dancing across the curve of Sansa's throat, before hovering over the left side of her chest. Sansa remained utterly still in her somewhat slumber, oblivious to Ruka's almost caring touch.

"What happened, again?" Lord Kaname demanded, standing a few feet away with his arms crossed. Class had quickly been dismissed after Sansa's collapse, much to Aido's relief. When Ichijo had lifted the girl effortlessly from the ground the moment she fell in Aido's grasp, and Aido had wasted no time in informing Kaname and the rest of his fellow students. Not wasting time, they quickly rushed Sansa's body to the Moon Dorm, laying her down on one of the sofa in the main hall, just below the grand staircase.

"One minute she was standing there, ordering us to our class, and the next she just started screaming, like some kind of pain was exploding in her head." said Ichijo, standing at the bottom of the staircase with Senri and Rima. Out of the three, he looked most concerned, his gaze fixed on the unconscious human girl. Aido nodded, backing up his explanation.

Aido wasn't sure what to think. Arms folded, eyes unwavering, he tried to understand what had actually taken place within Sansa's head. Like everything else about her, he couldn't come up with anything. All he knew was that she had been in terrible pain, _maddening _pain, so fierce it had knocked her out cold. Her blood had flared with such heat it had stung his eyes, and for a second, he had thought she was dying. However, he wasn't frustrated that he couldn't understand, but rather worried. His job was to protect her, as it was everyone's job, but how could he protect her from something that wasn't visible? Amazingly, beneath the worry, he felt an odd sense of pity for Sansa.

"I will have to call upon the headmaster." Lord Kaname said, teasing his lower lip with his finger. His eyes danced over the others, lingering on Aido in particular. "Can I trust you all not to bite her?"

Everyone nodded with murmured yeses, and as if to emphasise their point, almost everyone ventured up the stairs to their rooms. Aido, Ruka, and Ichijo remained. Lord Kaname smiled ever so slightly before taking his leave, his grace envying as he did do. The moment the doors closed, Aido moved forward and sat on the arm of the sofa, closest to Sansa's feet.

"Aido..." Ichijo's tone was tinted with a warning, also moving forward to linger at Sansa's other side, gazing down at her face with a gentle expression.

"I wasn't going to do anything." Aido said dismissively, simultaneously pushing away thoughts of blood flowing down the lining of a throat. Ruka smirked at him, reaching out again to brush her fingers against Sansa's cheek, though there was no kindness in it now, only taunting.

"Does this not tempt you, cousin?" she asked sweetly. Aido swallowed, watching her fingers outline the curve of her throat again, this time with deliberate slowness. At the touch, Sansa's heart seemed to quicken, and even from his seat, Aido could smell the hot rush of her blood. He closed his eyes, willing himself to behave, and also taming himself so as not to rip his cousin apart.

Ruka looked distracted when he looked at her again, finding a new focus through the lust. "How strange." she said.

"What?" Ichijo asked, looking at Sansa as if to find some kind of change.

Ruka shook her head, meeting Aido's gaze. "Her heart, it reacts to my touch. Is she awake?"

"No." Aido said. "She would flinch if she was. Like Zero, she most likely hates us." he smiled a little. "God help us when she _does _wake."

"Then why does she react so strongly?" Ruka asked, puzzled. "Before when I touched her, her body didn't react."

"Maybe she's rousing." Ichijo suggested with a shrug. Somehow, Aido didn't believe that to be true. Sansa's breathing remained slow, her stillness resolute, her lids plastered closed. It was like she was in a coma, drowning in the currents of the unknown. For all he knew, her soul could be free, fighting the darkness and willing herself to return to her body. Maybe, just maybe, she was standing beside him, whispering silent curses in his ear. He grinned to himself, finding the image amusing.

"Touch her again, Ruka." Ichijo said, watching intently. Aido watched, too, equally interested when Ruka ran her nails over the sharp cheekbone of Sansa's face. This time, she received no reaction. Sansa's blood remained its normal temperature, her heart keeping a steady pace. Aido frowned. He wondered, deep in the confinement of his thoughts, what reaction he would get if he touched her throat with his lips. He imagined the heat of her blood, the racing of her heart, a small gasp forming her lips. His eyes burned, shifting colour, and almost immediately Sansa's heart peaked again, and even a small whimper escaped her mouth.

She shuddered, the distraction shifting Aido's eyes back to their usual colour, and he leaned forward to get a better look at her face. For a second, her face was twisted in fear, her eyes clenched shut rather than closed peacefully, and he could practically feel the spasms of her muscles as her body recoiled.

"Nightmares." Ruka murmured, a smile dancing on her lips. _No, _Aido thought, though did not say. _She is reacting to my thirst. _Somehow, that knowledge felt almost exhilarating. Fear was a beautiful thing in humans. It drove the desire to impossible lengths. Feeding off someone while also tasting their fear gave an essence of power, of control, so to even cause fear without physically doing anything made Aido feel ridiculously dominant and pleased. Most interestingly, he could think of new ways in which to get under Sansa's skin.

Yet that still raised questions; _how _could Sansa possibly sense the thirst of a vampire? Did the thirst have to be directed at her, or at anyone? What else could she sense?

He began to find himself more interested in her, now that something had finally arisen from her darkened life surrounded by secrets. However, he blinked, refocusing on the situation at hand—and Ruka bending over the back on the sofa to smell at the girl's neck.

"Ruka!" Ichijo snapped, waving at her to get away. She jerked, blinking, and Aido couldn't understand what he was seeing. For the first time, Ruka had performed an act that _he _would ordinarily do. Ruka looked down, blinked again, and Aido drew his eyes away from her and at Sansa—who was looking directly back at him.

* * *

Sansa saw blue. Electrifying blue, so bright in the blur of her gaze it hurt her eyes. For a moment she couldn't move, her thoughts jumbled, her skin prickled with a thin sheet of sweat. Her pulse sounded in her ears, the weight in her chest abnormally heavy, like she was still recovering from a long run. Did she have a fever? Was she simply dreaming? No. Her body stung with the presence around her, a presence that was far from human. Ice laced her skin despite the cooling heat of her blood, and the more her body tried to alert her, the more vivid her vision became.

At last, a smirking Aido swam into view at her feet. Above her, Ruka Souen gazed down upon her, her hands braced on the back of the sofa, soft brown eyes watching her in curiosity. Beside her, glaring furiously at the vampire girl, stood Ichijo. He was grasping Ruka's wrist, like he was holding her at bay.

Everything clicked together at once. She was in a room with three vampires—alone.

She tried to sit up, one hand automatically reaching for the knives at her thighs while the other weakly gripped the back of the sofa. Normally, she would be crouched in a defensive position by now, a knife braced at eye level, her other hand clenched in a fist and ready to attack. Yet she could barely move her legs, the muscle there aching like she had run a mile. Her ribs felt like they had suffered the blow of a fist, and her head—God, her head! It felt like it was straining to stay together, suffering from the mother of all migraines and worse. She tried desperately to grasp at a memory that brought her here, that caused the ache in her body and pain in her head, yet she found nothing.

"W-what am I doing here?" she stuttered. She looked around, only to freeze when she recognised her surroundings. The Moon Dorm. "Why am I here? What's going on?"

"You don't remember?" Ichijo asked, frowning slightly. She stumbled to her feet, falling, Ichijo catching her with steady arms. He helped her to stand, an arm around her waist and a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to jerk away, yet the panic halted her from doing anything at all. What could she not remember? _How _had she gotten here? Why in the hell was she alone with a trio of _vampires_?

"Please calm down." Ruka said in an almost bored tone, gazing at her with absent wonder. From here, Sansa could still see the faint red threatening to engulf the warmth of her brown orbs. "Your panic makes you smell all the more appetizing."

"Have we switched roles, or something?" Aido said, looking at Ruka with raised brows. "I'm beginning to think _I'm _the sensible one, and _you're_ the foolish one." He smiled a little.

"How you can sound so surprised is beyond me." Ruka said, returning his smile with a menacing smirk. "Her blood appeals to you as much as it does me."

"Enough, both of you." Ichijo said, releasing Sansa, probably feeling the stiffness in her bones. "Don't worry, the headmaster will be here soon."

Sansa, feeling a desperation that shocked her, looked at Ichijo head on in the eyes, begging him silently. Amazingly, the bickering about the smell of her blood hardly fazed her, for she barely heard the exchange at all.

"Please." she whispered. "What happened to me?" She watched him, saw how his mouth parted slightly in surprise, and when she received no answer, she turned to Aido in the hopes of getting one. He too seemed to be as dumbstruck as Ichijo. Finally, anger flared.

"What? Just because I'm not treating you without malice, you think you can conceal the truth from me? _What. Happened. To. Me?!" _

"There she is!" Aido beamed, pointing at Sansa. "The moody Sansa we all know and love!" Ruka smacked him over the head, making him yelp. Ichijo sighed, drawing Sansa's attention to him again, and his eyes were sympathetic. Carefully he touched her forehead with his fingers.

"Here. You had some kind of pain in your head and you fainted. You've been unconscious for over half an hour." He tilted his head at her. "Do you honestly not remember? You sounded like you were in agony, Sansa."

"Yeah, gave me a headache." Aido said, strolling over and smirking down at her. "Dear me, you really are an interesting case, aren't you?"

"And what is _that _supposed to mean?" Sansa snapped, her rage continuing to boil in her chest. Aido grinned, flashing fangs and making Sansa's heart skip with nerves. Slowly she edged away, eyes wide, her fear spiking to the point her palms started sweating.

"Sansa—" Ichijo began.

"Leave me alone." she spat, stumbling towards the doors. "All of you."

She moved to spin on her feel, but her back bumped against something solid, yet warm. She froze, looking at the three vampires in front of her, all their eyes growing slightly wider. Aido, who was usually so well composed, went rigid as he stared past her, and seeing him so high on guard made Sansa feel nervous. Slowly she turned, and there, smiling down on her, stood Kaname.

For some reason, probably due to her frightened state, her mind zipped back to when she first met him. Through the gloomy corridors of her thoughts and memories, she remembered herself lying on the sofa in Kaien's office, wrapped tightly in his coat, her head spinning with nausea and confusion. Back then, her body had rippled with ice, and she had stared long and hard at him after revealing her name. He'd stared back, eyes calm, his expression tender. His mouth had been firmly closed until the moment he said: _"Hello." _In that one world, his true nature was revealed, simply by the point of his fangs.

But she hadn't screamed. She'd wanted to, the sound a thick ball in her gut, but she'd refused to let him frighten her. Instead she had murmured a reply, soft despite her ordeal.

_"You're one of them." _

Kaien had taken a sharp intake of breath, but was quiet. Kaname had merely smiled. _"I won't hurt you, little one. Myself and Kaien will never let harm come to you again."_

_"My mommy—" _she'd began, tears pricking her eyes, for she had already known the answer.

_"Has been avenged." _Kaien said firmly, but Sansa continued to stare at Kaname, seeking some kind of malice, searching for the monster that had killed her mother. She'd found nothing, only a gentle kindness. Somehow, that had seemed worse.

_"You're safe now." _Kaname had said, promise clear in his voice. _"I will do everything in my power to keep that statement true."_

And now, gazing at him, she knew that he was still keeping his promise.

"Are you feeling alright, Sansa?" he asked gently, glancing at his fellow vampires. All remained horridly still with wary eyes. She couldn't fathom why. Something niggled at the back of her mind, that whenever Zero insulted Kaname even slightly during the changeover, the other vampires would rage about it, but still, what threat was _she _to a vampire like Kaname?

And then she caught flashes of a screaming vampire, on that dreadful night, before she herself had passed out. She shook them away, clothing her eyes.

"I-I don't know." she whispered. "My head hurts."

"She's well enough to be ungrateful." Aido mumbled. "Believe it or not, I don't make a living out of catching fainting girls."

"Shut your mouth, Aido." Sansa snapped automatically. The sting of anger made her head clench hard like a retracting pulse, causing her to sway a little in her step. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and, not without feeling stupid, looked up at Kaname with a hopeless expression.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked, her voice tiny. It was so rare for her to feel so vulnerable, and she could feel the same surprise radiating from the vampires around her, even Kaname. She would later come to regret it; the last thing she ever wanted was to let her guard down around her worst nightmare.

Kaname looked as hopeless as she felt, but before he could answer, Yuki appeared behind him. Breathless, for once forgetting of Kaname's hold on her, she came dashing into the entry hall and crashed into Sansa, gripping her in such a fierce embrace it knocked the breath out of her. She didn't complain though, merely held her friend close, relishing in her comforting arms, and over her shoulder she saw Zero lingering in the doorway, Kaien standing beside him with his hand on his shoulder. Kaname cleared his throat.

"Sansa, I think you should leave now, to rest." he told her, Yuki releasing her in the same moment to look at him worriedly.

"What happened?" Yuki asked. "I heard her scream and then... nothing."

"I'm alright, Yuki." Sansa lied. She was far from alright. She felt like she was going to be sick at any given minute.

"Sansa," Kaien said, stepping inside with Zero close behind. "Before you return to your dorm, I would like you to recount what happened to you―"

"She doesn't remember." Aido cut him off. Kaien blinked.

"Nothing at all?" he asked Sansa, and she shook her head slowly. He pushed his glasses up his nose, making a thoughtful noise as he gave way to his endless thoughts. "I see. Sansa, may I speak with you in my office? Aido, Ichijo, please accompany us. Kaname said you were involved."

"I would, sir," said Ichijo, looking at Sansa pityingly. "but I have an errand to attend to in a few short hours. I need sleep."

"Very well." Kaien said. "Come along, Aido."

"But―" Aido began to protest, Sansa watching him as he casted a longing look up the stairs, but Kaname only needed to give him one look before he recoiled and sagged in defeat. "Fine." he sighed.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Yuki and Zero retreated slowly to their rooms, both casting worried looks over their shoulders as Sansa sat down on the sofa, Aido standing near the desk. Sansa shot them a brief smile, urging them away, and then the door closed. Kaien stood with his palm on the door for a moment, and then grinned at the two opposites sitting begrudgingly in his office. Kaname would have attended, but apparently his students were restless due to the abnormal events of having a human girl lope in their building. He needed to attend to them, and calm them quickly, saying that vampire were unpredictable when restless.

Aido yawned openly, watching Kaien take his seat behind the desk. "Please make this quick, I'm exhausted."

"This will take as long as it needs to, Aido." Kaien said sternly, his tone taking its rare edge. Sansa sometimes preferred this side of him. It proved that he could be serious when need be, that life was not all fun and games to him. Though she knew he had a dream, a vision of a better world, she still worried about whether he truly knew the dangers of what he was trying to accomplish.

Upon requesting what had happened, Sansa listened as Aido recounted the event, one moment taunting her and the next catching her screaming body. He said that she sounded like she was dying, like she was burning alive or getting chopped down limb by limb. He explained that he could smell her blood, like it was bubbling to the point of flaming, and he opening admitted that he thought she was going to die. He recalled Ichijo lifting her body and bolting, while Aido had fetched Kaname for assistance.

She clung to each of his words, recollecting none of it.

When he finished, he yawned again. "Can I go now?"

"No." Kaien said coldly, for a moment lost in thought as a frown struck his face. Aido sighed, looking around the room, looking at anything but Sansa herself. "Sansa," said Kaien. "Do you remember much of your nightmares when you were little?"

"Nightmares?" Sansa asked, dumbfounded. She remembered nothing of nightmares, perhaps the odd one or two when she first came here, but the way Kaien spoke suggested that she had had them frequently.

"Yes. You had them a lot, for about six months after I found you. You'd scream the place down, and you got tangled in your bed sheets from thrashing so much. I even found you on the floor a few times, fighting something I couldn't see. You remember none of that?"

Sansa shook her head, her mouth open in a small 'o'. Her blood had run cold, and not because of Aido's presence in the room. This was fear lacing her blood, like poison. It festered to her heart, making it flutter unevenly, and her stomach twisted with nausea. She longed now to have a book in her hand, to be able to lose herself within its pages, to escape this life she thought she knew. For someone with a near photographic memory, how could she not remember nights of agony and terror?

"What Aido has just told me sounds a lot like those night terrors you had." Kaien continued. "Though, I don't think they were night terrors now. I think that they were inflicted upon you."

"_What?_" Sansa almost shrieked, and Aido's eyes widened with a twisted curiosity.

"I think someone had been getting into your head and attacking you, only to wipe your memory clean of it after." Kaien said, teasing his glasses as he spoke. "I never spoke to you about your nightmares because I didn't want to force you to remember them. But now―"

"Now you think she has had someone manipulate her mind all this time." Aido said, staring at Sansa in fascination. "Now you think she is still in danger."

"I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with Aido?" demanded Sansa, fighting through her haze of disorientation.

"Yes, what _does _this have to do with me?" Aido agreed.

"Sansa, you may hate me for this, but I need you to spend more time with the Night Class."

"_No._" Sansa spat before he could finish.

His eyes visibly hardened. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but if my theory is correct, I need you to be as close to the Night Class as possible."

"How is that going to help me in any way?" Sansa said, fear knotting itself in her voice yet again.

"Vampires have powers, you know that. Perhaps they can teach you how to protect your mind from intrusion, and they can also keep an eye on you."

"I don't _want _any vampire eyes on me!" Sansa shouted, jumping to her feet despite the spinning of her head. "I don't want anything to do with them! The only reason I agreed to be a guardian was because I owed you everything, still do, but you can't make me spend time with the very things that _ruined _my life!"

"Ouch." Aido muttered. Sansa turned on him, flaring like an angry snake.

"I _especially _want nothing to do with _him!_"

"Oh, the irony." Aido said with sour cheerfulness. Sansa blinked, and Kaien closed his eyes in coming regret.

"What?" Sansa asked.

Aido smiled, but it was a mean smile. "The irony is that you want nothing to do with us, yet your life depends on us. You are _everything _to do with us, Sansa Narita, whether you like it or not."

"I-I don't understand―"

"What's to understand? Myself and my classmates have been assigned to protect you, and we have done for the last five years. We did it under Lord Kaname and the headmaster's orders." he grinned at her expression. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Sansa."

"I―you―" she gaped at Kaien. "_You _did this? So ever since I came here, I've had prying eyes on me not just from curious humans, but from _vampires?_" And then she remembered. The constant feel of the icy chill she received each time a vampire looked at her, which was consistent throughout the hours of the day. Sometimes she even felt it when she was out in town along with Zero and Yuki, though she thought nothing of it because she knew, subconsciously, that she wasn't in danger. More often than not she barely noticed it―she felt it so often it became second nature to her.

Now she knew why. Vampires had been following her every move for over five years.

"Sansa―!" Kaien shouted, but she was already gone, Aido's laugh ringing in her ears with a cruel demeanour.

* * *

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	5. Nightmares

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* * *

_"Sansa..." a female voice cooed, gentle and inviting, the doe's call to a fawn. Sansa was blind, the darkness so severe she couldn't see her hand in front of her eyes, yet the natural panic she should have felt was somehow suppressed. In fact she was smiling, her ears fixed on the voice that sounded so far away yet so lovely and reassuring. "Sansa... come here, my darling." _

_Sansa wanted to, but how could she when she was practically blind? "Where are you?" she called out, her voice echoing back to her own ears. The woman's voice laughed breathily, not at all cruel but simply teasing, like she was amused with Sana's inability to find her. _

_A wind blew around her, lifting her thick hair up and around her shoulders, its strands tickling her face. She gasped, twirling to find the source of the breeze in the blackness, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. _

_"So innocent, so blind." the woman said, closer now, whispering in her ear. Sansa froze, suddenly frightened. She didn't sound friendly anymore, or loving, but rather mocking and degrading. Fingers laced themselves in her hair, causing her to stiffen. She wanted to flinch, but her body wouldn't allow it. In fact, her entire body was frozen, the touch of this stranger paralysing her from the shoulders down. The fingers massaged her head, a soft giggle warm on her neck. _

_"No wonder your head is so unguarded." the voice whispered. Sansa whimpered in fear as the fingers tracked down her throat, over her shoulder and down her arms, nails eventually clawing into her wrists, breaking skin. "You're weak. A pity."_

_"Who are you?" Sansa croaked. _

_"That is no concern of yours... _yet. _But know this." The following words were spat, like venom from a snake's fangs. "I. Own. You." _

Sansa woke with a start, a sheet of sweat on her face, droplets of it racing down her chest and spin. She was panting, eyes incredibly wide while her heart beat horrendously fast. She choked, feeling as if someone was lodging their fist down her throat, trying to reach for the slamming organ in her chest. When she remained in shocked silence for a moment, she finally bent forward as wrenching sobs wracked through her, shaking her entire body. The sheets trembling with the movement from where she had fist-full's of the fabric encased in her grip.

That was the tenth time she had had that dream in two weeks. Each time she remained naive, believing her visitor was kind even in darkness. It always ended the same, always ended with her bone chilling "_I. Own. You._" She woke up in panic each time, broke down in sobs moments later, and she knew now that once she fell back asleep, she would visit a place that practically presented her entire life; an endless road to nothing.

* * *

"Sansa?" Yuki asked before class started. "Are you feeling alright? You look exhausted."

Sansa did look awful. She had grown worse in appearance over the last few days. Chalky shadows tainted the skin below her eyes, the emerald shade of her orbs absent of their usual sparkle. Her skin was paler than usual, so much so she had to pinch her cheeks to urge the colour back, but that did nothing to stop her from looking ill. Her body sagged from exhaustion, and she found it hard to focus on anything. This exhaustion was new to her, not like the tiredness she suffered from long nights of duty, but something that was emotionally draining.

Sansa moaned in response to Yuki's question, her cheek against the desk, the wood cool on her hot skin. Eyes closed, she willed the darkness to take her, beckoning the blissfulness that was sleep. It didn't come, as she had expected. Never in all her life had she been able to sleep during class, not even if she tried.

Instead, Sansa reached down lazily for her bag, pulling out one of her many novels. She wasn't sure which one it was, but she began to read it anyway from where her bookmark rested in the contents. She heard Yuki give a resigned sigh, murmuring something to her friend Sayori on her other side.

The words on the paper blurred together, hurting Sansa's eyes, and she gave up after just five minutes of skimming. Finally the doors to class opened, and in came the teacher. Time to disappear into her thoughts again, it seemed.

It had been two weeks since she had collapsed in front of Aido and Ichijo. Two weeks since Kaien had asked her to do something against her nature. Two weeks since she'd learned that the last five years of her life had been watched closely through the eyes of vampires. It hurt no more and no less than when she had first found out. She felt betrayed, underestimated, looked down upon. She hadn't spoken to anyone other than Zero and Yuki since, and Kaien repeatedly called her to his office which she never obeyed.

She wanted to feel guilty, but couldn't find it in her to feel so.

The nightmares began two nights after she had fled Kaien's office. She wanted nothing more than to speak with someone about it, yet she didn't think anyone would understand. People may think she was mad. Maybe she was. All she knew for sure was that the lack of sleep was making her ill, and that each passing day began to drain her more and more until she could barely stand. Reading hurt, much to her despair, and seeing the Night Class every twilight made her sour.

How much longer could she go on like this?

Class ended, and slowly Sansa rose to her feet, blinking against the dizziness of tiredness. Yuki gave her yet another concerned look, helping her clear her things into her bag and guide her towards the door. Yuki said a brief farewell to Sayori before guiding Sansa outside into the midday sun, a breeze kissing Sansa's skin in what almost felt like comfort. She smelled the blossoming flowers all around her, felt the coolness of spring, heard the birds tweeting as they zipped through the sky. Everything was so bright, so beautiful, so why could she feel like shadows were consuming her?

"Sansa!" Yuki said, shaking Sansa with a not so gentle hand. It took Sansa a moment to realise that she was at the gates of the Academy, when hardly any students ventured. The air was quiet, the smell of freshly cut grass temping a sneeze to bloom behind Sansa's eyes. She looked through the gates longingly, but it wasn't like she was trapped here. Nothing could stop her from running away... could it?

"Sansa, please, I'm so worried about you. You haven't been yourself for so long!" Yuki shook her again until her teeth clattered almost painfully. She looked at her, and she saw Yuki draw an intake of breath. Many people did that, even some of the Night Class members. Her eyes were awfully attractive, and even the most well guarded people found their breath robbed from them upon looking into her eyes. It was the sharpness of the colour, so crystal clear with emerald they were like rare diamonds. Sometimes she hated them.

"I just haven't been sleeping well, lately." Sansa said quietly. She looked to the gates again.

"Do you want to take the night off tonight? I can talk to the headmaster..."

"_No_." she hadn't intended to speak that sharply, and cleared her throat when she saw the hurt in Yuki's eyes. "No, I don't want you to do that. I'm perfectly alright."

"Liar." Yuki mumbled. "Sometimes you're no better than Zero."

"Sometimes opening up doesn't solve anything, Yuki." Sansa said, though her voice was laced with tenderness. Yuki began to walk away, and she caught her wrist to stop her. "I might confide in you one day. But not now; I'm not even ready to confide in myself yet."

Yuki looked at her for a while before smiling gently, pulling Sansa into a hug. "Alright. Remember, though, when you do want to talk, I'm always here to listen. You're family, remember?"

_Family. _It was true. For the last eight years, Yuki has indeed been her family, as has Kaien. Zero entered said family four years ago, and even though that was such a short amount of time, he was the closest thing to a brother she had ever had. She had a family, even without related blood, and minus Kaien, they had horror filled pasts that bonded them together like no other kind of bond. Orphans, it seemed, had a way of keeping close together.

Sansa smiled hopelessly at Yuki, hugging her back fiercely. "I know, Yuki. I couldn't have asked for a better sister."

* * *

An hour later, Sansa, Yuki and Zero took up their favourite booth in their favourite cafe in town. The moment they had arrived, Sansa felt a weight lift in her chest. The girls shared a chocolate milkshake together, and Zero sipped idly on his tea. The three of them tried to going on this outing at least once a week, just before the changeover to gain energy. Fridays were their favoured days; the Day Class girls got more excitable because it meant they wouldn't see the Night Class for two whole days.

_Oh, the horror. _Sansa thought sarcastically, while rolling her tired eyes as Yuki blew bubbles into their milkshake. Zero shook his head at her, a smile of his own tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yuki, sometimes I wonder if you want to draw attention to yourself." he said.

"I will always be a child at heart, Zero, and you wouldn't change me for the world." Yuki beamed. The light in Zero's eyes brightened a little, like Yuki had said something that he mentally agreed with. He looked affectionate for a second before downing the rest of his tea, tipping his head back and revealing the strong line of his throat. Sansa looked at his tattoo, the Hunter's Seal, and wondered if it had hurt when he received it. _Yes, _she thought. _But not as much as the bite of a vampire._

She'd never been bitten before, she realised. Yuki had, mostly by Aido in a teasing manner, but at least he got punished for it each time. Zero had had a few bites from vampires in the past, usually any new students who were yet to grow used to the No Biting rule. Yet she had never been touched by a single fang, only close calls. She thought she must have been lucky, yet there was something odd about it. Vampires constantly rambled on about how odd and delicious she smelled, so why did none of them ever try for a taste? Then she thought, with sourness, that it was because they were under strict orders to protect her, not drink from her.

Then, much to her alarm, she wondered what the blood of a vampire tasted like. _Urgh, what is wrong with you, Sansa? _She thought, closing her eyes.

"Hello, Earth to Sansa..." Zero said, leaning across the table to lightly tap her on the head. She jerked, blinking, and then blushed. Wow, she truly wasn't with it today.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" she asked blandly. Zero smirked.

"Lost in an imaginary world again?" he said. "You should really work on that, it could get you into trouble. Anyway, I asked if you wanted help studying with Yuki."

"Studying?" she said lamely. "Oh, no, I'm alright. I study best when I'm alone to be honest, mostly when I'm on duty."

"You _read _when you're on duty." Yuki said, finishing the milkshake until it made slurping noises.

"Yes, but I also take a study book with me. There's something comforting about working in a tree, you know." She smiled a little when they both rolled their eyes.

"Nerd." Zero said just as Yuki said: "Weirdo."

"What's so wrong with reading, anyway?" Sansa asked them. "Sometimes words are so much better than moving images."

"True, but sometimes reading can make you expect life to turn out a specific way." Zero said. "This life has little good to come with it, but I bet your expectations are quite high."

"I agree." Yuki nodded. "_Boys_, for example. Sweet, charming, handsome and alluring in books, but in reality, all those things but for the wrong reasons. Pretty girls don't often have a happy ending in this day and age."

"God, you two are so pessimistic!" Sansa exclaimed, shaking her head. "Really, you should open your minds a little bit. Not everything is bad in the world." It was funny, really. For someone who had gone through a terrible ordeal, she was the most optimistic about things when it came to personal happiness. Yes, she was often gloomy and reserved, but that didn't mean she had a hope for some kind of happy ending in the long run. Meet a boy, fall in love, marry, have children... what girl didn't want that, damaged or not?

"Each to their own." Zero said, looking around. "Perhaps we should go, now. Twilight's coming."

Not wasting any more time, the three headed back to the Academy. Yuki rambled on about how she wanted Zero to teach her how to cook properly, which he responded to in sarcastic comments. "You should never cook." he said. "You can't teach cooking. You either have it or you don't. _You _defiantly don't." Naturally, Yuki went into an uproar, smacking the tall boy over the head and making him complain loudly. Sansa laughed, despite herself, most of the way home.

Her mood uncharacteristically bright when they arrived at the swarm of waiting Day Class girls, the three split to block a group of the girls and arrange them in line. Kana was among the group Sansa attended to, glaring at her as she pushed through the girls to come nearly nose to nose with Sansa.

"Do you know how awful you look?" she asked.

"Is this the face of someone who cares?" Sansa countered. She heard the gates open, the squeals getting louder, but Kana remained focused on trying to torment Sansa.

"I hear you crying, in your room, every night. Do you forget that our walls aren't sound proof? You keep me awake." Kana said, reminding Sansa that she was only a room across from Kana's and her roommates, which she often tried to forget.

Sansa didn't even blink. "Can't say I'm sorry about it."

Kana's mouth fell open a little at this. "Why people are scared of a sobbing little girl like you is―"

"I'm older than you, two years older, actually." Sansa cut her off. "And I could easily tear you limb from limb if I wanted to."

"How dare you!" Kana spat, raising her hand automatically. Sansa, knowing that striking Kana would only land her in trouble, dodged the hand that swiped towards her face, nails bared. As she moved out of the way, fighting the urge to retaliate to the attack, she saw that a hand gripped Kana's wrist, and the girl herself looked as if she was torn between being dazed and frightened. Her eyes widened, pools of misty grey glittered with astonishment. Sansa turned, and saw Aido glaring down at Kana, Akatsuki Kain looking equally furious by his side. Sansa stepped away, baffled for a moment, as Aido pushed Kana back into the group of girls.

And then he beamed, like nothing had happened, and it took Sansa a moment to realise that it had all happened in the fraction of a second. Aido, nor Akatsuki, acknowledged her.

"Please, let's not get carried away with ourselves! Be nice to one another!" Aido exclaimed in his usual good-natured voice—the cover up to his true nature. Sansa continued to gawp at him, as did Kana, both their mouths open in small 'o's, the girls around them not seeming to have noticed the exchange.

"Come along, Aido." Akatsuki said, stalking off with a swift look in Sansa's direction before joining Ruka and the others, his fans screaming in despair. Ruka was noticeably watching Sansa, no doubt having seen the exchange, before she walked elegantly away behind Kaname himself, who was looking at Yuki with longing.

"Sansa," Aido said softly, though she heard the malice deep within his words. For one thing, he didn't seem any more pleased to be her protector than she was to be his charge. The two locked eyes for a moment, electric pools and jade gems nothing more than bursts of colour reflecting equal distaste. And then he smiled. "Try to stay out of trouble, okay? I wouldn't want to see you get hurt."

It was something Kaname said on a regular basis to Yuki, only Kaname said it with nothing but tenderness and sincerity. When Aido said it, it was all mocking, daring her to go against his word and become a hypocrite to herself, daring her to admit that she wanted him to be her saviour by going against his advice. Fuming, she lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and caught him in a gaze that seared him to that cold heart of his, audibly taking his breath away.

"Go, Aido, before I set Zero on your throat." she told him bitterly. The venom in her tone shocked even her, and Aido blinked. Then his eyes flared, and, barely there in the blue, she caught flickering glimpses of red.

"You owe me, Sansa." he told her before moving on, though his tone spoke more. _You owe me your life. _

Five years ago, he had carried her to safety. Five years ago, he agreed to be the protector of her life along with many others. Five years ago, her life became unknowingly bound to him and every other vampire in the Academy. Whether she liked it or not, she was in the debt of every beast she hated, and she found herself loathing Aido more than ever.

With a clipped voice, she screamed for everyone to leave, Zero and Yuki's eyes wide when everyone screamed and ran. Everyone… but one.

A girl, a girl whom Sansa had never seen before, stood in front of her as the surrounding girls fled, average height with her golden hair pinned back out of her face. Her eyes were big, nearly as big as Yuki's, and shone baby blue with golden tints, the most unusual eyes she had ever gazed into. Her face was young, rounded and pale, a faint blush colouring her high cheekbones. Wearing a Day Class uniform, a mix of blue, white and black, she folded her hands over her skirts and smiled pleasantly.

"Hello, I'm Koemi Honda." she said sweetly, watching as Zero and Yuki came to join Sansa in either side.

"Can we help you in some way, Miss Honda?" Yuki asked. The girl grinned, looking directly at Sansa.

"Why, yes. I came here on the request of Master Kaien Cross, and I came to find Miss Narita." she told them. "It appears I have already found her. I have come to be Miss Sansa Narita's new roommate, and thus, be her brand new, human bodyguard." She thrust her hand out to Sansa, still beaming. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"A bodyguard against _what_, exactly?" Sansa asked, astonished.

"Why, the beasts that wish to feed on her blood, of course!" she said, evidently beaming like she was pleased by the news. Sansa's heart skipped a beat, sweat dampening her palms and neck. Yuki and Zero stayed quiet, gawping. At her dumbfounded expression, Koemi added, "You see, the area has been infested by Level E's as of late, eliminated by Vampire Hunters such as myself. When we questioned one of them about why they kept on coming, they told us it was because of the most delicious smell they had ever caught a whiff of." she tilted her head in childlike curiosity. "I located this Academy, learned of Kaien Cross, and questioned him about what the Level E had meant. And he led me straight to you."

There was a stunned silence, Sansa visibly shaking, but the girl in front of her looked around studiously, and then giggled when she returned to look back at Sansa. "So, are you going to show me to our room?"

* * *

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	6. The Hunter

**Chapter Six! Thanks against for reading :)**

* * *

"What the _hell _are you playing at, headmaster?!" Sansa shrieked, slamming her palms down on the wooden surface of Kaien Cross's desk. She looked furious, the most furious he had seen her since the day she met the Night Class face to face five years before. Her cheeks were flushed scarlet, her eyes ablaze with utmost fury, and the shallowness of her breaths told him that she was struggling for composer. She looked like an angel of darkness, somehow, with that thick black hair and piercing dark green eyes. He managed to stay calm, for many feared her temper as much as Zero's.

"Sansa, I insist that you calm down." he said gently, offering her a kind smile. Behind the girl he had come to love as a daughter stood the source to her temper. Koemi Honda leaned beside the door, a small smirk on her lips, those strange eyes of hers darkly amused. She looked about sixteen years old, her appearance so decisive it was hard to believe she was twenty five years old. Small, lean and incredibly innocent, only God knew what dark, murderous talents she possessed as a Vampire Hunter.

"_Calm down? _Not only have you had a bunch of vampires keep guard of me over the years, now you have a damn Vampire Hunter here to invade in my personal space without asking my permission!"

"I called you to my office more than once for two weeks, Sansa. I would have asked you but you never showed. I didn't want to worry you, but I didn't want you unprotected. Level Es are growing in numbers, and from what I've heard, they're after your blood." he told her as calmly as possible, hoping against hope that she would listen to him for even a moment.

"I don't _need _protection! I can fight, you made sure I could, so," she spun, her back to him as she looked at Koemi. "_you _can be on your way."

Koemi's smile widened, and she tilted her head at Sansa. "My, you do have a temper."

Sansa turned back to Kaien, her face still angry, but a helplessness tainting her eyes. "Please. I don't want special treatment, you know that. I don't want to be reminded that I'm a victim of a vampire. I want to forget."

"How can you forget when your life is infested with vampires?" Koemi asked.

"Because they haven't tried to kill me." When she spoke, Kaien heard the sting that pierced her upon saying it. He knew that she was thinking about the truth behind the reason why she had not been attacked yet, but something in his gut hurt. Sansa was such a troubled girl, living a double life of being normal and being haunted. He often wished she would talk to him or ask him for comfort. Sometimes he forgot that she wasn't the little girl he once knew, where he would hold her in the night after what he had thought were night terrors. He remembered how she would cry into his chest, telling him that her head hurt, asking him why she was on the floor. His heart pinched at the dark memories, and he pulled himself back to the present, staring at the desperate girl in front of him, begging him for solace with her eyes.

"Sansa," he said in his softest voice. "When I found you, I thought you were dead. The vampire beside you was on death road, his dying wish wanting to drink your blood. I am not prepared to let you get into that kind of situation again. The incident from five years ago was the last straw, and now that I have reason to believe your life is in danger again, I will go to any lengths to ensure you're safe."

She blinked, momentarily stunned, but her expression sank back into its resenting scowl. "I understand that, and I appreciate it, but I don't want some random girl following me everywhere. You already have my life secured in the hands of aristocrat vampires, so why isn't that enough for you?"

"Because Kaname and the rest only agreed to watch over you at a distance, and would interfere whenever need be. Koemi told me that Level Es have been sniffing around here for weeks, wanting the same thing; _you_. Sometimes being watched from afar isn't enough."

"Why didn't you send them out to hunt these Level Es?"

"Like everyone else in this Academy, they are students, and it is not their job to go out hunting Level Es." He reached across the desk to her, grasping her hands in his, and he felt her stiffen. He could see that every muscle in her body was tense, knotted with stress, and it hurt him to know that he had caused it. "I'm worried about you. Something about you has those monsters riled up, whether it's your blood or something else entirely. Please, I need you to have faith in me."

"I have faith in you, I just don't have faith in _her_." she turned, aiming a glare at the Vampire Hunter, whose expression had turned soft. "How do you know she won't slaughter the Night Class?"

Kaien grinned then. "I thought you don't care about what happens to them."

She caught him in a steely gaze. "I don't, but I still have a duty. If I have to defend the Night Class from her, then I will."

_How had she grown up so fast? _He thought sadly. For someone so filled with hate, she was mature. She knew that there was no point in dwelling on the past, and he wondered if it was him who taught or that, or if she just knew how life was and wanted to face it like an adult.

"I'd like to see you try." Koemi muttered, and naturally, both of them flared at her.

"Now listen here! You are here for no other reason than to protect Sansa should a situation occur! The Night Class are off limits!" he shouted, and Koemi gave an unsettling grin. Indeed she was a Vampire Hunter; her nature was to kill the blood-sucking beasts he longed to tame into society. He knew what the desire to kill vampires was like, the addictive pull and the need to satisfy the craving. Oddly, they were very much like vampire; only able to live by killing. Oh, the irony. He had a dreadful feeling that Koemi was going to be a problem to the vampires, and Sansa seemed to read the anxiety in his face. She looked back, glaring, and pointed a finger.

"Point a gun at them, hell, go anywhere _near _them, and I will have your head on a spike." she seethed, shocking even Kaien. There was such ferocity in her tone that he would have thought she cared if he didn't actually know her.

"For someone who hates vampires, you have a fierce protective streak over them." Koemi observed. Something unreadable crossed Sansa's expression, her eyes dulling with a realisation Kaien didn't understand.

"I owe them." she said, and then stormed out of the room, Koemi close on her heels like a duckling following its mother. Kaien heaved a sigh, went slack in his chair, and hoped to the Gods he had luck on his side.

* * *

Later that night, an hour before her head could finally hit her pillow, Sansa found herself on a tree branch below the main building, her gaze fixed on the window up above. She could see Aido, Kaname, Rima and Ichijo from here, all looking bored but attentive at the same time. She saw the dark shadows of the other students, all motionless, listening to a teacher she could not see. She wasn't sure why she was watching them, but then again she thought it probably had to do with Koemi. The Vampire Hunter lurked in the shadows down on the ground, possibly watching the Night Class, too. Sansa didn't care. She just wanted a distraction from the added nuisance in her life.

Her mind drifted back to the last time she had become that angry. She had been in Kaien's office, over five years ago, lying on her belly with a book open in front of her. Kaien had told her to go there, telling her he had something to talk to her about, and at the time nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. When the door had opened, and a younger Kaname had walked in, still her suspicions remained dormant. Kaname had become a large part of her life, for he often visited to see Yuki. Sansa had grown accustomed to it, even endured his presence with little hatred. But not that night.

Behind him, four others had followed. The three cousins, Akatsuki Kane, Ruka Souen, and Hanabusa Aido, and behind them Takuma Ichijo. Last had been Kaien himself, his face apologetic as the four strangers lined up a little away from her, watching her with big, curious eyes.

Three things had happened at once.

The moment Sansa had felt the doubled chill rope around her skin, she knew. With a strike she'd leapt to her feet, shouting and cursing, backing away until her back hit the desk painfully. She'd jumped onto the desk's surface, unleashing her blade that had been snug in the belt of her jeans. Holding a defensive stance, she'd ignored Kaien's desperate pleas for her to calm down.

In the same moment, the four vampires had stiffened defensively themselves, hissing at the blade being pointed at them, sensing that it was an anti-vampire weapon. Their eyes had blazed red, though Ichijo's eyes stayed that colour for only a fraction of a minute. After he'd had an apologetic look on his face, stepping backwards towards the door.

Lastly, Kaname slapped the three remaining vampires whose eyes glowed red and caught them in a blaze of fury with his eyes. They'd recoiled, whispering apologies and bowing, clearly ashamed. All that had happened in under a minute, and even when the vampires' eyes returned to their colours, Sansa refused to stand down.

"_Why bring them here?" _she'd hollered. _"Why would you do that?" _

"_Sansa, you must understand that this Academy will be holding aristocrat vampires―that means they won't drink human blood. Like me, they want piece. They won't harm you, Sansa." _Kaien had said gently, reaching up and grasping her wrist, urging her to drop the knife in her hand.

"_How do you know?" _she'd retorted hotly. _"How'd you know they won't? They are born to _kill _people!" _

"_You trust Kaname." _Kaien had spoken softly, not wanting to infuriate the girl further, but needing to extend his point.

"_Kaname is different. Kaname saved Yuki's life, and Yuki trusts him." _she'd told him. _"I trust Yuki's judgement." _

In that moment, Aido had snuck forward almost hesitantly, grasping Sansa's abandoned book from the floor. Sansa had watched in shock as he tended to it with delicate fingers, examining the spine while a small smile broke the blankness in his expression. His blue eyes had lifted, catching her gaze, and at the time, his eyes lacked the usual malice he obtained today.

"_Little Red Riding Hood used to be my sister's favourite." _he'd told her, handing her the book, careful not to touch her. Kaname had looked on in approval, nodding proudly at Aido as he stepped back between his cousins. Then he looked at Sansa, who was still gawping, looking between the book and Aido. All she'd thought was how human the act had been.

"_I promise to keep them under control." _Kaname had said simply. "_I promise that they will never lay a hand on you if it is unnecessary." _

And, like autumn leaves to the wind, all the anger had melted away. Fear remained, and doubt, but she was no longer angry as she looked at the four new students. In that moment, she'd realised that she had faith in Kaname and Kaien, and therefore in these strangers. In that moment, she knew that no harm would come to her, at least not by them. For the first time she'd regained her belief that not everything was covered with blood.

So why, now, did she feel uncertain about Kaien's decision to have this Vampire Hunter be her bodyguard?

"Look out." Koemi said, and out of nowhere, a knife came sailing towards Sansa with an odd whistle in its wake. She nearly shrieked before lashing out her hand, catching it by the blade, breaking through her skin painfully. With a harsh gasp, she dropped the knife the moment she caught it, her hand trembling while the blood trailed down her wrist. Koemi laughed.

"What the _hell?_" Sansa howled, jumping down from the tree to land before the girl. Before Koemi could even blink, Sansa had her pinned to the trunk of the tree, her bloody hand gripping her hair while the other had her own knife to her throat, yanked from its sheath. She didn't miss the brief widening of Koemi's eyes, the gold tints glittering against the blue. Even in the low light, Sansa could see that her blood was staining her golden hair, much to her pleasure. Blood in hair was hardly attractive.

"Kaien _did _train you well." Koemi said thoughtfully, regaining her composer. "Though he didn't do much on your lack of attention."

"I caught the damn knife, didn't I?"

"Barely." she said. "And now you're bleeding, which has now landed us in the company of inhuman beings." She smiled, looking over Sansa's shoulder. "Good evening, vampires."

Sansa stiffened, released Koemi―not without force―and turned to look at what Koemi was smiling at. Kaname, Aido and Ruka stood there, looking furious aside from Kaname, who was as calm as ever.

"Good evening, Vampire Hunter." Kaname said in response to her, even smiling slightly. "The headmaster told me that you would be arriving to look out for Sansa."

"Did he now? Are you afraid I'll take over your job?" Koemi smirked. "Or are you afraid I'll slaughter you all when you least expect it?"

"Over my dead body." Sansa spat before she could stop herself. At Aido and Ruka's stunned expressions, she snapped, "Oh, don't flatter yourselves. I have a job as the disciplinary committee, remember?"

"As for your question, which Sansa so kindly retaliated against, I don't fear either of those things." Kaname said smoothly. "However, if you throw a knife at Sansa again, it won't be Sansa's blood we smell." He spoke so softly, but the words made Sansa's already cold skin prickle with apprehension. Her heart fluttering, Aido's eyes latched onto her. She stared back, clenching her bleeding fist and involuntarily drawing his attention to it. He evidently swallowed, yet his eyes remained their shocking blue.

"Sansa, if you would like to come with us." Kaname said. Koemi made a noise of annoyance in the back of her throat.

"I am supposed to be keeping watch on her."

"Well you've done a terrible job since you made her bleed." Aido said. "Congratulations, you've earned the first prize for the worst bodyguard." As he spoke, Ruka walked towards Sansa, her expression impassive. Oddly Sansa didn't flinch when Ruka took hold of her wrist, urging her to walk away from the Vampire Hunter, who was hissing in anger.

"How dare you." she snarled, presumably to Aido. Aido only gave her one of his cruel smiles. Sansa looked at Koemi, who was visibly fuming, and gave a grin of her own. "I will tell Kaien about this!"

"Tell him." Sansa said. "I'll just tell him that you threw a knife at my face and threatened the Night Class members in less than five minutes, and see what he has to say to that."

She left with the three vampires then, unsettled but triumphant at the same time. She realised that once she was out of Koemi's radar, she felt like a chain had been unwrapped from her stomach. It wasn't until then that she realised Koemi put her on edge, that there was something really wrong about her, and it made her sick to think she had to share a room with her. Inwardly she shivered, the feeling of Koemi's gaze like daggers in her back.

* * *

"That was kind of you," Ruka was saying while she bandaged Sansa's wounded hand. They were in the Moon Dorm, in the same open space where Sansa had woken in terrible panic and confusion. Even now it felt like she could feel the remainder of that panic, faint but traceable in the air around her. She shuddered, wondering if the vampires could smell it, wondering if they laughed at her because of it. "defending Kaname like that."

"I was defending all of you." Sansa said automatically. "It's my job."

"Still, It's gratifying to know that you respect Kaname's life as much as we do." Ruka said softly, tying a knot in the bandage to secure it. It had stopped bleeding after a good rinse under the tap, the cool water oddly soothing against the wound. It wasn't deep, and would no doubt heel within a few weeks.

Sansa was amazed, though, at the control Ruka had, and Aido for that matter. She expected such control from Kaname, since growing up with Yuki meant a lot of scraped knees and cut hands. He was used to the smell of blood. Yet the many times Aido had been scolded for drinking on grounds, the many times blood stirred the Night Class during their lessons... how were they so composed now?

_Ah, _she thought. _But they're not._ The harder she looked, she could see the strain in Ruka's eyes, the desperate need to stay in control of her lust. Her movements, too, lacked their usual fluentness, and her jaw was set when she wasn't talking. Perhaps they weren't all that well composed after all.

"Is it hard?" Sansa found herself asking. "Being around my blood?"

Ruka took a moment to swallow before answering. "Yes. You have an unusual scent. Your skin has a natural fragrance to it, like earth and damp soil. But your blood to us is like what drugs are to humans. There's something addictive about it―"

"Please stop," said Aido, walking down the stairs. "You're making me thirsty." Sansa's heart jumped with nerves, making him laugh at her. "Calm down, I don't intend to actually bite you. Where are my tablets, Ruka?"

"Wherever you left them, idiot." Ruka retorted.

"So rude." Aido murmured before disappearing into another room. Ruka rolled her eyes before standing, looking down at Sansa thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you should go now. It won't be long until Kaname brings the rest of the Night Class back, and some are still struggling with their lust." Sansa nodded, moving to stand and make her way to the doors, when Aido poked his head around the door in which he had disappeared in.

"And Sansa," he called. "be careful around the hunter. I mean it. There's something wrong with her, she... _smells _wrong."

"Have I ever told you that the things you say often make no sense?" Sansa said, frowning.

"Nope, this is the first." He smiled broadly, moving so that Ruka could slip passed him. "And can I just say, that you smell absolutely delicious." She flushed angrily, making him laugh as he vanished from view, followed by the slamming of a door. Shaking her head, Sansa left the dorm, her hand tingling from beneath the bandage.

When she stepped outside, something in the air changed. It grew thicker, heavier, like she was stepping into a cloud of invisible smoke. Her breathing grew laboured as she paused in her stride, her hand to her throat, like she was struggling to breathe. A heaviness grew in her head, the formation of a headache yet feeling like something else entirely, like something was _growing _inside her head.

_I think someone had been getting into your head and attacking you... _Kaien's voice rang in her ears, clear as crystal. She let go of a small whimper, afraid, the idea of something invading her mind utterly terrifying her.

And then she heard it, the female voice from her dream. _So many protectors, so many eyes on you... I will have you, little one, you will be mine..._She let out a strangled cry, pained as she dropped to her knees, hands in her hair. _Still sensitive. Good... It won't be long now..._

"Oh, not again..." came a distant voice, a voice she had heard only moments ago. She saw Aido blur in front of her, vaguely felt his hand on her shoulder, heard him mumble something she couldn't make out. Through a blur of tears she willed the compressing air out of her head, willing the voice the vanish with it, trying her best to hold off her cries.

_I'll let you go, this time... _the voice said, laughing, as it drifted from her mind with the weight it had brought with it, leaving Sansa breathless the moment it was gone. She fell forward, into Aido's waiting arms, only this time she fought through the fog that wished to take her somewhere dark. Gripped the sleeves of his jacket, she looked into his eyes, begging him through tears, and for the first time she saw worry in his orbs.

"I give up..." she croaked. "I... I want your help... please, help me..." Her grip on him tightened, her voice dissolving into small gasps of exhaustion, and yet she continued to fight away the darkness. "Make it... stop..."

At last the weight inside her was entirely gone, making her collapse with dead weight. Aido let her lean on him, his eyes latched on hers, his lips moving with words she couldn't hear. She caught sight of familiar light brown hair―Ruka―before she closed her eyes, hoping against hope that she would remember what had happened this time.

* * *

**Thoughts? :)**


	7. Invasion

**Chapter Seven! Thanks again for the reviews and follows guys! :D**

* * *

Aido deeply disliked this small Vampire Hunter in front of him. Beautiful, strong and stubborn, yet she was so off putting it made him sick. Something about her was wrong, from the energy she gave off, to the way her eyes seemed to latch onto something like a hunting dog's, and the horridness went right down to her scent. She smelled like death, mostly, the smell of past vampire victims still clinging to her skin like a blanket. He could smell their dying blood, rotting with their death, holding that faint scent of ash that had become them entirely. It was almost like she showered with their blood.

"Is something the matter, Hanabusa?" she asked him sweetly. He glared, his chest throbbing with his untamed anger. Hardly anyone called him that outside the circle of his vampire friends. To have this creature call him by that made it seem almost intimate, and he longed to have no connection to her whatsoever.

"It's Aido to you, hunter." he snarled. She grinned, brilliant white teeth glistening. They were in the hallway outside of the headmaster's office, waiting for the headmaster himself to emerge with the news of Sansa's condition. Lord Kaname was in there, too, as was Zero Kiryu and Yuki Cross. The headmaster had insisted that Aido wait outside while he spoke to those he trusted completely, since it was him whom Sansa had sought help from, and Aido would have been fine with that had not this stupid girl followed him. Up until now he had tried to focus on the heartbeat of Sansa through the door, steady yet unnervingly slow.

"That's not very nice, you know." said the girl, whom he believed was called Koemi. Yes, that was her name. "I'm new, and you should be treating me with kindness to help me settle in."

"I should be treating you no differently to anyone else, especially with your occupation." he snapped, growing more and more irritated by the second. Her scent intensified, crawling through his nose and down the back of his throat, reeking of needless murders. Among the blood of Level Es, he smelled the tainted blood of turning humans as well. He could smell their pain when they'd died, along with their intense emotions. That's the thing with people's scents; their emotions were a big part of it, and the fact that Koemi smelled of so many lost lives made him feel violated.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were unnerved by my presence." she said, smirking darkly, the shadows of the hall looming in on her face and making her eyes look like nothing but empty sockets. It was the rare occasion that he wished the sun would rise faster, just so he could get away from her and sleep the day away.

"Not unnerved, just irritated." he said, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. Sansa's heart thudded, and it was strange. Her heart was different to that of the other humans in the room. It had a determined, bolder beat to it somehow, giving the indication that it was pumping with more meaning than theirs. Stronger. He wanted to smile. Everything about Sansa was strong, and had been ever since the day he'd met her. Admittedly it was admirable, so the worry he'd felt when she fell against him, begging for his help, was a little overwhelming. He had watched her become who she was for so long that it was frightening seeing her so small and vulnerable. The only thing he could do was take comfort strength of her heart among the muffled voices of the people around her.

"I thought the anger of a vampire can cause the most terrible damage to those who suffer it." said Koemi. "Yet here I stand. Are you soft, Aido?"

"I don't see the point in wasting my energy on you." he told her, reopening his eyes to look into hers, past the gold and into the baby blue depths. "Besides, Lord Kaname wouldn't approve of me killing Sansa's assigned protector."

"But you don't approve of that, me being Sansa's guard, I mean." she responded, that nasty grin resurfacing, robbing her of her beauty and replacing it with ugliness.

"No, I don't. None of us do." he said through a growl. "All I smell on you is pain and death. It's _ugly._"

"Oh? I smell ugly? Why have you been smelling me at all?"

"It's hard _not _to. I could smell your filth from a mile away."

"You pain me, vampire." she sighed, placing a palm over where her heart was. It thudded calmly in her chest, as if she wasn't worried that her charge was unconscious behind the door in front of her.

Then Sansa's heart escalated suddenly, drawing Aido's attention away from Koemi and towards the door. The hunter appeared to notice this, too, for she smiled mockingly.

"There's a change in the child's condition?" she asked mildly. "I still have my job?"

He ground his teeth in anger. Clearly she wasn't taking her job as seriously as he was. Then again, she wasn't captive in the shadow of Lord Kaname, yet he still found himself angry to her lack of care for the girl she was supposed to be protecting.

The muffled voices grew slightly louder, and movement occurred within the room, and among the disturbance he could detect Sansa's light, almost tentative step. Her heart started to race, her scent growing intensely as she panicked. Her voice, first groggy and confused, rose with a tone of alarm and dreaded fear. He tried to pry the words through the door, but the thud of her heart overrode her voice, as well as the movement of Koemi beside him. The hunter was at the door, pressing her ear to the wood. She smiled pleasantly, much to his annoyance.

"Is she always this easily frightened?" she asked Aido, making him blink.

"What would you know?" he snapped. "Wouldn't you be frightened if you had a constant pain attacking your mind?"

She made a sound of amusement. "No. I would face it boldly, not cry and demand answers."

Indeed, Sansa was crying. He could smell the salty water of her tears, mixed with earth and mint. He resisted the urge to take a deep breath, especially since his throat was already beginning to burn. He focussed his attention on Koemi, on her throat, and wondered what _she _would taste like.

The burn went away, for he knew full well what she would taste like. Death.

The door opened, and Aido stepped back, shoving away Koemi as he did with his shoulder. She made a sound of annoyance, flashing him a glare, before she turned to look at Lord Kaname who stood in the doorframe. His face was impassive as his eyes landed on the Vampire Hunter, who looked back with a curious look. But Aido barely noticed.

Behind Lord Kaname's arm, enveloped in Yuki's arms while Zero placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, Sansa stared blankly with glistening eyes, tears trekking down her cheeks and onto the front of her uniform. Her lip quivered, her fists shook at her sides, and her hair was plastered to her face from sweat. Something inside Aido twisted at the side of her, from shock and pity and even concern, and the wave of emotions hit him hard enough to knock the breath out of him.

"Hanabusa," said Lord Kaname calmly. "please take Sansa to the Moon Dormitory," he shot a glance at Koemi behind Aido, and the air instantly chilled. "_alone." _

"I can't allow you to do that―" Koemi began to protest, but was quickly cut off by Kaien Cross, who appeared in the doorway with a sour expression.

"You can and you _will_. Your job is to protect Sansa when she is without the aid of the Night Class. Right now your assistance is unneeded." Shuffling from the doorway, carefully edging around Lord Kaname's form, he ushered Koemi to move along. "You insist to stay, so I will show you to your room. I'm afraid you won't have Sansa to keep you company tonight."

As he spoke, Aido bowed when Lord Kaname gently guided Sansa from behind himself and towards Aido, and her movements were painfully slow, like she was learning to walk. "Summon Ishio Maki, have him inspect her mind right away."

"Yes, Lord Kaname." said Aido, and gestured for Sansa to follow him. She stared, unseeing, and he couldn't remember seeing her so helpless. She looked like a lost child in need of finding her mother, her eyes bigger, her pupils diluted. Her mouth was still open, her lip still trembling, and no doubt she was trying to keep her sobs at bay. Judging by the repeatedly swallowing, she must have been suffering the burn of her tears in the back of her throat to the point it was more than uncomfortable.

"W-who is Is-hio Maki?" she stuttered, looking at him, or rather, _through _him.

"A Level B vampire in the Night Class." Aido said smoothly, gently pushing her forward with his hand at the small of her back. He nearly flinched; through her clothes, she was smouldering.

"Oh." she said weakly.

"Um, Aido?" someone said, and Aido turned to see Yuki gazing at him with a sad expression, Lord Kaname walking down the hall alongside the headmaster and Koemi. Zero stood motionless in the doorway, his silver hair shielding his eyes.

"Yes?" Aido asked, frowning a little. Yuki took an intake of breath, shuddering as she exhaled.

"Take care of my sister, okay?" she said, her voice small, tainted with hope and anxiety. Aido blinked, his mouth forming a small 'o' before he closed his eyes and nodded. Without another word he led Sansa out of the building and in the direction of his dormitory, the sun rising overhead.

For once, bed was far from his mind.

* * *

Ishio Maki was a gentle and subdued vampire. He often lurked in the shadows of class, not wanting to draw attention to himself, and during the changeover at twilight he made sure to move quickly to escape the squealing Day Class girls. But just because he was incredibly enclosed, didn't mean he wasn't kind and gentle. In his free time he liked to draw and read, and sometimes he enjoyed a daytime stroll to absorb the sun most vampires disliked. Unlike his fellow peers he was the closest thing to lovely, right down to when he drank blood.

Cho Kita was the only one who truly experienced his gentleness. She was precious to him, the only one who accepted him for being more human than not, the only one who adored him for wanting to fight away the beast inside him. He treasured her like nothing else, imprinted her image to his mind as if he would never see her again, tasted her blood with relish like he may never taste it again. He drank from her with nothing but love, moaned his pleasure and gratitude as he drank, and flourished in her soft whimpers and loving caresses.

Today was no different. The sun was coming up, his fellow vampires returning to their rooms in order to sleep, and better yet Lord Kaname was not around to scold him for feeding from his loved one. Like a good follower he would normally obey, but whenever the opportunity arose, he and Cho wasted no time.

She was on his lap, her fingers tangled in his dark hair, her lusciously violet eyes staring into his tender grey ones. Her free hand traced the muscles of his back, followed the dip of his spine, and slowly she tipped her head back, her long, fire red hair falling and exposing her neck to him. He lowered his lips to her skin, slow and deliberate, running his tongue over the soft flesh. When he bit down, he always felt a little guilty at her whimper, but was always free of it once she fell slack and ran her fingers soothingly through his hair, urging him on.

She tasted as wonderful as always. He drank her blood without greed or desperation, but with love and deep adoration. His hand cupped her head, his other running up and down her thigh until she shivered in bliss. He moaned as her blood soothed the burn in his throat, fresher than water and far more divine than the finest foods out there.

When he had his fill, he licked away the blood running down her neck, smiling down at her before pressing his lips to hers. She shuddered against him, clinging to him as he kissed her, running her tongue over his fangs, causing him to gasp into her mouth. He pulled her closer, breaking the kiss as he guided her lips to his neck, wishing to repay her. She sighed dreamily against his throat, kissing the tender spot there before preparing to sink her fangs into his throat. He closed his eyes, waiting eagerly, needing to hear her drink, needing to feel her love as she slowly devoured him.

Her breath was hot, the tip of her fangs gentle, her fingers fisting in his hair. He closed his eyes, smiling, holding her tighter still―

"Hey! Ishio, time to leave your dearest Cho and _get down stairs. _I hope you realise I could smell your blood from the other end of the Academy!" Hanabusa Aido bellowed on the other side of his door, making Cho gasp and pull back in astonishment. Then, her eyes glowing a violent red, she looked towards the door.

"Get out of here, Aido!" she shouted, growing stiff with anger in Ishio's arms. He only sighed, dropping his head down to her shoulder in defeat.

"Kaname's orders, now _move it! _And people say _I'm _the damn blood addict!" With that Ishio heard Aido stalk off down the corridor, muttering and cursing to himself, and it wasn't until he heard the beating of a human heart did he stir with curiosity. Cho heard it too, it seemed, for she looked at him quizzically.

"Is that a human I hear?" she asked him, her lips on his when she spoke. He kissed her briefly before pulling completely away, smiling sadly at her.

"Not just any human; that's Sansa Narita's heart. I think things just got interesting around here." he smirked, dipping his head to her ear. "You can have twice your fill tomorrow, my love." he whispered, and she sighed happily.

"Go, but I'll be waiting right here for your return." she said softly, kissing his neck to emphasise her point. He chuckled, stood, and left the room, wondering what the prised second daughter of the headmaster could possibly want with him.

* * *

Sansa watched anxiously as a boy ambled down the stairs with a familiar grace. His hand to her mouth, she swallowed nervously. Indeed he _had _been drinking, confirming Aido's outburst a few minutes ago, yet not even the guardian in her could surface to scold him. Instead she stared, awed by his beauty, transfixed when his eyes landed on her with moderate curiosity.

He was tall, slightly taller than Aido which meant he towered over her. Standing in front of the doors, her head slowly rose in order to keep eye contact with him. Idly he swept his tousled brown hair from his face, though it looked like it had already had fingers tangled in it. Her stomach lurched, yet she couldn't look away. Eyes the colour of a dark fog in a graveyard, she found herself staring into them with wonder. Still in his Night Class uniform, though rumpled and missing his tie, he had the beauty of a gentlemen yet the darkness of a killer all at the same time.

"About time." Aido said beside her, scowling ferociously, his nostrils flaring as his eyes latched onto the bite drop of blood on his white jacket. Naturally the tall boy covered it with his palm, looking suddenly sheepish as he fiddled with the material. He smiled then, looking at Aido good-naturedly.

"Aido, you know Cho and I are inseparable, you can't expect our nature to be robbed from us as a couple." he said, as if it were a completely normal thing to say. Sansa instantly went lightheaded, swaying on her feet, and with a curse Aido steadied her with firm hands.

"Shut up, you're upsetting Sansa more than she already is." he snapped at the boy, baring his fangs.

Ishio held up his palms in surrender, smiling sweetly. "Sorry, I forget that humans are easily affected by their emotions. Speaking of Sansa, why is she here? Better yet, why do you need _me_?" He was looking at Sansa now, that same childlike curiosity clouding his eyes as he tilted his head at her. Not knowing the answer herself, she lifted her head to Aido, who's eyes were closed in annoyance.

"Your _power, _genius." the blond boy said, frowning.

Ishio also frowned. "Well, I don't see how my power can help a human girl who looks like she had witnessed seeing a ghost, died, saw her dead body, and then came back to life again. Honestly, Hanabusa, what do you expect me to do?"

"S-something is attacking me." Sansa said before Aido could retort, shocking the both of them. "I-I hear voices in my head, have n-nightmares, a-and the pain is awful. I-I need help. I don't know h-how much longer I can g-go on."

She saw how Ishio's expression changed instantly, his frown smoothing into a look of general concern. Aido sighed with relief, clearly seeing the change too, and allowed Ishio to guide Sansa towards the sofa on the open hall. Gently pushing her down by the shoulders, she stiffened as he stared straight into her eyes, smoothing her damp hair from her face.

"Now I see." he murmured to himself, tucking locks of hair behind her ears. She couldn't find the strength to be afraid, couldn't even allow herself to be angry for letting a vampire touch her so kindly. She felt weak and unstable, still trapped in the blur of nightmares and reality. That voice still sounded in her head repeatedly, clear as day, her memories far too vivid.

_I will have you, little one... you will be mine... _

Fresh tears blurred her vision, a small whimper falling from her lips, and Ishio shushed her tenderly. "Listen to me. My power will invade your privacy... you must understand that. I will be able to see your memories, real and imaginary. It'll be uncomfortable..."

"You're g-going inside my h-head?" she asked, sniffling. Her heart jumped when he closed his eyes and nodded, a new fear joining the one already there. Her heart drummed painfully, her stomach somersaulting with bile and terror.

"Hey, calm down―" Aido said, but was interrupted by Ishio, who smiled softly at her.

"She has a right to be afraid." Ishio said quietly. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon. I will only be there for about five minutes, and I promise not to linger where it is not appropriate."

"What will you look for?" Aido asked curiously.

"A block in her mind, perhaps, or a corridor with information she isn't aware of. The mind is amazing; it holds thoughts people aren't even aware of having yet. Perhaps I can find something peculiar." His eyes dulled with gentleness, making Sansa's heart swell in both fear and admiration. Never had she met such a kind, soft vampire before, other than Kaname that is. "Are you ready?"

"Y-y-yes." she said, shuddering violently that even her teeth clattered.

He didn't waste time in telling her when he would invade, he just dived straight in. Kneeling down before her, his eyes closed, she gasped loudly as her head swelled from the invasion, throbbing like a developing headache. It wasn't like the other pain of the monster whispering how it owned her, but an uncomfortable ache, like the aftermath of bumping your head on a hard surface. She felt like her thoughts were no longer her own, nor was her sight, touch, taste or even her hearing. Everything felt like it was being stretched, shared with another being and being experienced so forcefully it nearly made her pass out from shock. She felt him walk the halls of her mind, travel through her memories, peer into the dark rooms holding her deepest nightmares, and then travel deeper until he landed in the subconscious area of her mind, the place where her dreams and nightmares unfolded. She heard herself whimper, but she herself sounded far away.

Flash after flash, image after image, emotion after emotion. She saw it all, felt it all, relived her dearest moments as well as her darkest moments all at once. Red eyes, fresh blood, dark smoke, screaming, nightmares, fangs, her mother, Yuki, Zero, Kaien, meeting the Night Class, running, running, running―She saw everything so fast and so vividly it took her breath away.

Naturally she tried to force him out without meaning to, her body instantly rejecting this assault, clawing at the imposter like it was fighting a disease. When her head swelled to the point she wasn't able to determine what was hers and what Ishio was inspecting, she felt Ishio zip back, racing through her thoughts with a painful pang, until suddenly she was gasping.

She sank into the cushions, a fresh sheet of sweat coating her skin, her blood boiling intensely. Her head throbbed dully, recovering, mending itself from the intrusion. What was stretched returned to its usual size, her thoughts closing up again, her memories dying away and down to where they belonged, only to resurface at her command. At her feet, Ishio was bent over, like he was praying, as he gasped into the floor. Aido was by his side, demanding if he was okay, shouting for answers, but Sansa heard them as if they were miles away.

"Forsaken..." Ishio wheezed, rising up again with the help of Aido. Ishio stared at Sansa, who stared back through exhaustion, unable to process what he was saying. "She's a... Forsaken."

"A Forsaken? What does that mean?" Aido asked hurriedly.

"It means," said a voice by the door, which Sansa recognised as Koemi. She tried to look, but she only saw the world through a blur, spotting the smudged view of a blonde girl with two men on either side of her, presumably Kaien and Kaname. "that Sansa's life is not her own, but shared. It means that somewhere out there, she has an other half that is stronger and far more controlling―Darklings, they're called." Though she couldn't see, Sansa could feel the cruel smile in Koemi's voice. "The Darklings and their Forsaken. Sansa's life was taken from her before she was even born."

* * *

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	8. New Arrangements

**Chapter 8! Thanks again for reviewing :D**

* * *

A little over a week later, Sansa was atop the wall of the entrance, overlooking the land beyond while the sun began to rise in the distance, the shadows of dawn withdrawing and taking the threats of the night with it. Her skin absorbed the thriving warmth of the sun like a sponge, warming her to her bones. She wished she could feel reassured, yet nothing about her life was reassuring anymore.

She had never felt so disembodied from herself before. The last week had gone in an agonizing blur, her usual routine feeling strained but rushed at the same time. She heard the people around her but never clicked into what they were saying. She saw bodies but not their faces. She knew the touch of someone but never truly felt it. Everything, from reality to the fiction of her novels, felt distant, like it was no longer hers to experience.

Her nightmares were still constant, still the same, but now she didn't wake up in the night sobbing. It was weak to sob. She couldn't afford to be weak now, knowing what she was. Yet her heart continued to ache with hurt and despair, knowing that now she no longer has a life without worrying she would die in the worst ways imaginable. That was the worst, knowing. She had gone about her life in an almost blissful blindness that it had all hit her so hard it took away all her spirit.

She couldn't look at Yuki and Zero in the eye anymore, for both of them loved something that wouldn't pass the age of eighteen, and didn't even know. She couldn't look at them when she knew that in the end, she was going to unintentionally break their hearts. Kaien tried to make her see life from a more positive angle, that maybe she could outdo this crisis, but Koemi promised that there was nothing to be done, that not even a group of vampires could save her now. Sansa wondered why Koemi was even sticking around; what was her purpose here if Sansa couldn't be protected by anything? She'd asked, and Koemi had smiled and said, _"The last Forsaken I knew died alone and in terror. In honour of them, I intend to not let you go the same way." _Sansa had replied saying she didn't want Koemi there when she did face her death, but the Vampire Hunter merely shrugged and said, _"I am only fulfilling the wish of my friend." _

Apparently Koemi had been friends with a Forsaken before, a fellow Vampire Hunter. For years they had been together, inseparable since they were toddlers, and neither had known of the Forsaken's true fate until it was too late. Koemi refused to tell the entire story, though she did tell Sansa that once the nightmares started and became memorable, time was short for her.

Koemi knew little of the Forsaken, only that they are the purest of beings and grow up blind of what they really are until it is too late. Apparently, Darkling's hunt their bonded Forsaken from the moment they are born, sometimes going decades or even centuries waiting for their birth. Only the Darklings can connect with the mind of the Forsaken, and often drive them mad before they finally swoop in and rob the Forsaken of their mind, body and soul. In the words of a past Darkling Koemi had met, the Forsaken are literally "born to die".

The night Sansa had found out, there had been an uproar. She herself had been too weak to even engage in what was going on around her, and Ishio had caught her when she'd stood, only to fall from disobedient legs. But the yelling ceased to be distant the way her mind appeared to be, with Ishio murmuring soothing words in her ear. Aido and Kaien had shrieked at Koemi that she was lying, that she knew nothing; Aido in the role of a stubborn protector, and Kaien in the role of a disbelieving father. Koemi had screamed back, declaring she had met both a Darkling and a Forsaken. Kaname had watched in dead silence, while a group of vampires had flitted down the stairs to join in on the commotion. She couldn't remember the point where the yelling had died and her body had been lifted in the arms of Kaien, his voice in her ear as he whispered that nothing bad would happen to her. His comforts had come too late, though; her life had already ended.

She wondered if her mother had known what she was. Was that why she had made it her mission to protect Sansa from the monsters of the night? She didn't know how her mother had known about vampires, though she had theories; ex Vampire Hunter, past victim of a vampire, the witness of a vampire based murder. It didn't matter. It made sense, though, why her mother had been so protective of her. The purest blood was the most delicious in theory, for it held all the thriving goodness of a gentle, loving heart, and even the most lost monsters needed some form of goodness to flow in their veins. Somehow, Sansa didn't think her mother knew of the fate her daughter was being led to. If she had, she would have told her―_warned_ her―wouldn't she?

And her father, what about him? He'd died when she was five years old, committing suicide from a bullet to the head. According to an old friend of Sansa's mother, he'd been bitten by a Pureblood vampire, meaning that he would have descended into that of a Level E vampire. In order to protect his family from himself, he killed himself. Was that really true, or was he taking the easy way out of the burden surrounding his daughter he could never truly protect?

Sansa shivered, hardly wanting to question everything she knew.

Someone cleared their throat behind her, and when the icy chill overtook her skin, she closed her eyes before she turned to look. On the ground, looking slightly uncomfortable, stood Takuma Ichijo. A hand fiddled with his perfectly knotted red tie, while the other raked through his silky blond hair. His green eyes were soft but reserved, like he was nervous to be there. She watched him critically, her patience thin as she waited for what he had to say.

"Um... Sansa, I know I have no right to ask you of this, what with it being a week's late request, but Lord Kaname sent me..."

"Spit it out, Ichijo." she snapped. He made a regretful noise, and the pinch of guilt that attacked her heart momentarily shocked her, and she unintentionally softened her gaze on him.

"Sorry... Lord Kaname would like you to come to our dorm. He says that he still intends to fulfil your wish for our help." Ichijo said, looking at her almost hopefully. When she didn't answer, he added, "Not all is lost until everything is ruled out."

"Why are you bothering?" Sansa asked him. "Why are you bothering trying to help someone who is fated for an early death? What's the point?"

"Everything has a point, you just need to see it from the right angle." He smiled, only a small smile but one that was as kind as always. "Come on, before some Day Class girls spot me. I'd hate to run all over the grounds just before bed."

With a resigned sigh, Sansa dropped from the wall, Ichijo reaching out to steady her if need me. She followed him through the wooded area of the grounds in the direction of the Moon Dorm, unable to shake the uneasiness at being alone with a vampire when the trees could so easily conceal them from view. _No, Ichijo's not like that, I'm perfectly safe. _She reasoned with herself, and sure enough, Ichijo broke out in idle chatter about nothing important, mostly about the appearance of a pleasant day to come and recommending some sort of food dish she should try. The normalness of it made her want to smile, since nothing about this week had been normal. He noticed, because when she felt his gaze on her, she found him smiling a little.

"What?" she asked.

"It's nice to see that you're restraining a smile." he said. "You've looked so sad lately it's a relief to see."

"I've not had much to smile about lately." she said quietly, looking down at her feet while she walked. "Koemi keeps reminding me."

"Koemi doesn't know a thing. She thinks she does, but she doesn't seem to have tried to find a solution to your situation. She is merely taking the word of an enemy." he told her encouragingly, but when he received no response he sighed. "What you're going through is hard, and I understand that. But from the stories I've heard and researched, you are the first to every go through this with the support of others."

"Research?"

"Darklings and Forsaken are that of legends. The versions vary, but the thing that is always repeated is that the Forsaken always die alone at the hands of a Darkling without knowing what they are. You, on the other hand, know what you are _and _you're not alone in it." He touched her arm tenderly, his eyes softer than she had ever seen them.

"Why should that make it any different?" she asked. "You can't protect me from my own head, you know."

He looked as if he were about to answer, but as they rose the steps to the Moon Dorm, a voice at the top cut him short. "Maybe _we_ can't, but we can teach you so that _you _can." It was Aido, smirking as he leaned against the wall attached the entryway gate to the dorm.

Sansa glowered at him. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

"Anyone can shield their mind, you just have to know how to do it." he said proudly.

"Have you been eavesdropping on serious conversations again, Hanabusa?" Ichijo said, and smiled when Aido naturally burst out in a half-hearted rage.

"No one tells me anything! I _have _to listen or I know as much as Ruka, who knows _nothing at all!_"

"_I heard that!_" came a shriek, and in the main doorway appeared Ruka herself, evidently fuming as she strode to meet Aido half way. Sansa covered her lips with her hand, suppressing a laugh despite herself.

"You're a vampire, Ruka, _of course you heard that!" _Aido hollered, his face flushing.

"Would you two stop? You're being rude in front of Sansa―" Ichijo said, clearing embarrassed, but both Aido and Ruka set their furious gazes on him, instantly silencing him in the process.

"For the record, Aido, vampires are supposed to be charming creatures, and you are putting that to shame." Ruka seethed. Aido in turn hissed at her, both raging to one another as they somewhat led Sansa and Ichijo into the building, passed the creepy guard that seemed to be withering away in his seat. Sansa shivered and kept her head down, following hurriedly after them.

At the staircase that Sansa had grown unsettlingly familiar with stood Ishio, who's smile was as gentle as the last time she had seen him, yet his eyes held a determination that unsettled her. He looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle, his eyes looking directly into her soul. Her breath hitched a little, her body reacting to that intense gaze of hers, and the others turned to look at her.

Ishio smiled. "Don't worry. I'm going to help you, no need to be afraid." he told her, moving towards her with the same fluentness all vampires had.

"In fact," came the smooth voice of Kaname, appeared at the top of the stairs. "we are all going to help you."

"No offence, Kaname, but you know my feelings towards your kind." Sansa said automatically. He nodded, smiling a little.

"Unfortunately your tone lacks its usual confidence, Sansa." he said, descending. "The headmaster told you that you would need our assistance sooner or later, and here you are." He smirked at her, looking like he knew something she didn't. "If you truly hated us that much, you wouldn't be here now."

"_How, _exactly, are you going to help me?" she asked after a irritated pause, absorbing his words and knowing the truth behind them. The last few weeks had been fast, a blur, and somewhere along the way, her hate for the Night Class had decreased a considerate amount. She told herself that it was simply because they'd been there when she woke up from black outs, but something deep inside her said something different. Deep down, she had somehow grown used to their company, maybe even felt comforted by it.

That didn't mean she _liked _them, though, which motivated the glower to follow her comment.

"Well, since the weaker willed of our kind are after your blood, we thought we'd train you to fight us on a more intimate level." said Ruka, grinning darkly. "Guardian on vampire, up close and personal."

"I will be teaching you how to guard your mind from intrusion," Ishio said, his grin less malicious. "and also I will try and search for any hidden power you may possess. According to the legends, the Forsaken have powers just as great as a Darklings, but it takes a lot of work to awaken them."

"I'm just here to watch and laugh." Aido said, smiling happily. "Not every day you get to see a human fall prey to vampires willingly."

"In actual fact, Hanabusa, you will be among those training her." Kaname said, and behind his impassive expression, Sansa was sure she could hear the smugness in his voice. At Aido's horrified look, his eyes losing their teasing sparkle, Kaname's mouth formed a small smile. "You complain about never feeling useful, so here you go."

"Idiot." Ruka said beneath her breath, leering at her cousin. Aido bared his teeth at her, and Sansa forced down her alarm to the deepest part of her gut. In that moment Akatsuki walked in behind Sansa, stopping at her shoulder as he looked at his fellow cousins. He was tall, his orange hair a little more tousled than usual, and his orange/brown eyes both amused and annoyed.

"You two sometimes put shame to our blood." he said in his usual low tone, and the aggressive pair turned to throw dagger like glares at him. He remained unaffected, instead smiling a little.

"Sansa," Kaname said, drawing her attention back to him, now standing just a few feet away from her. "I would like it if you came here every weekend at seven in the morning, and also an hour before your lessons in the week. Is that alright?"

"Do I have a choice?"

He smiled at that. "Not really."

She blew out a sigh, closing her eyes in defeat. "Alright. But can I have something to eat first?" she said, and in that second, Ichijo went darting out of the room, screaming "I'll get it!" in his wake. This was going to be a _long _morning.

* * *

An hour and about twenty damn pancakes later, Sansa was on her knees, her hair clenched in Senri Shiki's fist. They were in a very large room on the dorm, a room of pure open space like some kind of ball room, though not quite big enough for that kind of event. The ground was wooden, coated in a thin layer of dust, and the walls all consisted of mirrors like a ballet room. The ceiling was covered in paintings, vampires feeding on humans, humans with the glowing red eyes and the mad faces of Level Es, Purebloods in a small group of royal prosperity, and Level B vampires worshipping said Purebloods with nothing but love and admiration. All of it was as beautiful as it was terrifying, but Sansa barely had time to dwell on it.

Senri reabsorbed his blood whip, the liquid getting sucked back into his finger as if it were a living creature returning to its lair upon its mater's command. Senri pushed against Sansa's head, exposing her neck to him. When she went to attack with one of her three knives, the biggest of the three, his free hand grasped her attacking wrist as squeezed, opening her fist as she cried out. The knife clattered to the ground in the same second Senri dipped his head to her neck, delivering a fake final blow.

"Okay, okay!" Sansa shrieked. "Let go!" Senri did so immediately, looking triumphant as he stepped away from her. Sansa rubbed her neck and then drew a handful of her hair forward to cover the skin. Weakly she got to her feet, glaring at Senri. For a vampire who always appeared so subdued, he was far more powerful than she'd originally gave him credit for.

"You should really tie your hair back," Rima Toya said, standing among the other Level B vampires who formed a circle around Sansa, creating an arena. "Hair can be so easily used against you, as demonstrated." Her blue eyes sliced through her critically, her face expressionless as she chewed on a Pocky stick, handing the box that held them out to Senri as he approached her.

"Do you have a tie?" Sansa asked irritably, folding her arms stubbornly.

"Here." said Ruka, appearing behind her. Pulling back Sansa's thick hair from her shoulders, her hands incredibly pale against its blackness, Ruka lifted her hair up and used a ribbon to tie it, fiddling until it was up in a respectful messy bun. Sansa didn't miss all pairs of eyes landing on her neck, even for the briefest of moments, and resisted the urge to tease her throat with anxiety.

Sansa, once Ruka returned to her spot in the circle, looked at each face with a hot glare. "What now?"

"This," Akatsuki said with a grin, extending his arm towards her but not moving his feet. She watched in astonishment and horror as fire escaped the tips of his fingers, hissing with life and it flared across the floor. Sansa cried out in shock as the fire raced towards her, forming a ring around her as walls of flames rose high around her. The heat was almost unbearable, and instinctively she tried to protect her face with her hands, the flesh of her palms burning. When she sank back to her knees in fright, the fire around her crackled, changing from a blinding mix of orange and red to a clear icy blue. With a shriek the fire shattered around her, revealing her trembling form to the group of staring vampires, Aido's arm now extended until all of the fire was vanquished. He looked mildly annoyed.

"Now is not the time to show off, Akatsuki." he said.

"Now isn't the time to play hero, either." muttered Ruka.

"Shut up!" Sansa shouted, getting to her feet. "Stop messing with me! You are supposed to be teaching me how to defend myself, but all you have done is mock my weakness and surprise me! I wanted your _help, _not your cruelty!"

"We are trying to see how well your senses are." Ichijo said calmly, though he looked both pitiful and annoyed; the first towards Sansa, and the latter at Akatsuki. "We must know what to work on. So far, you are not engaged with the things that happen around you. You need to _feel _the energy, merge with it, otherwise you will be easily outdone before you could even raise your knife."

"Believe it or not, I don't have the heightened senses you guys do." Sansa snapped.

"Actually," Ishio countered, licking his lower lip thoughtfully. "I caught a sense in your mind last week that you _do, _but unlike us you have to manually control it. Theoretically, if your kind are hunted for your entire life, evolution would evolve you to an extent that perhaps your could become just a slight bit more sensitive to things around you. All you need to do is unlock that skill."

Her heart picked up a little in fear, but she refused to be frightened of who she was. She _couldn't _be; fear never got anyone anywhere. "What else can my body do?" she said almost reluctantly.

"Well," said Aido thoughtfully. "when you passed out the first time, you reacted to the touch of Ruka. Oh, don't give me that look, she didn't actually _do _anything to you. The thing is, you reacted to m―_our_ thirst. It was weird. Your blood heated up and your heart started hammering like a tennis ball. Do you know about that ability?" He looked at her quizzically, reading her face as she took in what he had just said. Yes, she had known that, but it was more alarming coming from someone else's mouth. Smiling, he added, "So apparently, your body is sensitive to vampire thirst. Interesting."

"Indeed." Ishio agreed. Everyone was staring at her in fascination, and she felt her cheeks flush. She hated attention, always had done, so having this many non-human eyes on her was more than unsettling. She fiddled with the sleeves of her jumper, looking up at the ceiling for a distraction; annoyingly, the paintings up there looked like they were staring at her, too. Typical.

"I've had enough for one day." she said hurriedly. "Can I go now?"

"You've only been here for an hour. Lord Kaname said to keep you for at least three." Rima said in a bored tone, Senri nodding beside her.

"_Three hours? _No way. You can't keep me here against my will and you know it. I'm leaving." she huffed, storming out of the room. She knew she was acting like a child, but she thought that if she stayed in there any longer she'd go mad with paranoia. The doors slammed shut behind her, and she thought that if she moved fast enough she could be at the Sun Dorm before Yuki and Zero even knew she'd been gone. But then she heard the door behind her open again, followed by the, "Hey, wait!" of Aido.

"What do you want, Aido?" she said, not pausing in her stride to leave, though Aido naturally fell into step with her easily.

"Someone has to walk you to the door." he said calmly.

"Not necessary." she snapped.

"Sansa," he spoke her name softly, urging her to look at him, and against her will her eyes drew up to his. Blue orbs looked back, so intense and beautiful she found that she had stopped walking, swallowing nervously. He stopped too and smiled, looking the kindest he ever had, his eyes free of his usual mockery. "You don't need to pretend to be strong around us. For one we can see through it; whether you like it or not your body tells us what your face doesn't. Secondly, it's okay to be afraid."

"Why do you even care?" she asked quietly, forcing her gaze away from his to look ahead, towards a door that led out to the main hall and thus the exit.

"Well, since you'll be spending more time here, I thought it'd be best to get along. Besides, I think I could get used to your presence." He smiled, and it was a nice, genuine smile. Her heart skipped, which annoyed her immensely. "Hey, no need to be annoyed, I'm trying to be nice here." He said sulkily, and Sansa closed her eyes. _Thank God, he didn't notice. Damn these vampires. _

"I appreciate the attempt. Thank you, Aido." she said softly.

She moved ahead, quickly followed, and he cleared his throat to get her attention once they reached the main doors. "I'll see you at twilight, then." He smirked, his mocking eyes returning, and instantly she felt a little better with the familiarity. "Don't get hurt."

"I'll try my best." she told him, fending off a small smile of her own. Without another word Aido opened the door for her, watching her leave before shutting it behind her.

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**Review! :D**


	9. Kana

**Chapter 9! :D Thanks for the support you guys, loving it!**

* * *

"Would you two _stop _messing around and _help _me?!" Yuki shrieked against the pushing and shoving girls, ten minutes before the gates of the Moon Dorm were about to open. Sansa and Zero stood near the gates, engaged in several rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors, trying to outwit one another which only resulted in them battling with the same "weapon". Both forming a fist for a rock, they turned to look at Yuki rather blankly, and Sansa couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Relax, Yuki, they don't come out for another ten minutes." she said over the noise, and Yuki's cheeks flushed, her eyes darkening in annoyance. With a huff she moved away from the group of pushing girls, and in turn the girls went tumbling to the ground with a cry. Kana was among them, getting crushed by several bodies, and Sansa and Zero exchanged smug looks while Yuki came to join them.

"You look better today." Yuki observed, looking at Sansa with a look of gentleness. Taken aback, Sansa stared at her, blinking away her inner shame to wearing her emotions of her sleeve all the time.

"What do you mean?" she asked lamely, and Zero snorted.

"Do you take us for idiots, Sansa?" Zero said, mussing Sansa's hair. "Eight years for Yuki, four for me, and you think we don't know you at all? You've been walking around like the dead all week, but today you look..."

"Fresher." Yuki finished, smiling. "You have colour in your cheeks again. You've smiled today, too, and you were even taking notes. Do you feel better now? The headmaster told us you had a kind of illness overcoming you, with the blackouts and all."

_Illness? _So that's what it was now, in order to cover up her true identity. The idea of it made her―ironically―feel sick. Perhaps that's how the headmaster saw her now, just a diseased child taking up his time needlessly. _No, he isn't like that. He loves me like a father loves his daughter. _She thought hotly, cringing at her own cruel accusation. He was only protecting her, and perhaps even Yuki and Zero for that matter. Sansa was, in a sense, ill with a thick cloud of darkness hanging over her, her fate presumably sealed. If people were to know of her true blood, she'd no doubt be taunted, mocked, even provoked because of her recently discovered weakness. Besides, if the wrong person were to find out what she was, goodness knows what would happen.

"Yes, I suppose I do feel a little better." she told her, nodding slightly. Zero frowned, suspicion clouding his mysterious lilac eyes, and Sansa's heart began to pound. She tried to beg him with her eyes not to call her out, hoped desperately that he wouldn't demand what was really going on. But, as his eyes flicked to Yuki who beamed at Sansa, hugging her ferociously, he dropped his head and kept his mouth shut. Sansa exhaled, though the threat of him confronting her still loomed about her. He was one to know all truths, but he was not one to upset Yuki when needless.

It was strange how she did indeed feel better, lighter, even. Something about spending the morning with the Night Class had lifted a burden from her shoulders. Being in their presence, knowing what they were, had somehow unhinged her a little. She still feared them, still disliked them, but something about the knowledge of their beings also comforted her somehow. Their strength, heightened senses, amazing abilities―how could she _not _feel protected? Though she hated to admit it, the idea of them teaching her how to take advantage of her... _condition_... made her feel braver, even a little hopeful. If a group of vampires, all usually subdued and uncaring about anyone outside of their species, believed that Sansa could indeed be saved from herself, what reason did she have not to believe in them?

She had something to hold on to, and through the end of the tunnel, she knew that in the end she would always have her dysfunctional family to help guide her through her darkest moments.

"You've been ill?" came the high voice of Kana, walking over with two brunette girls on either side of her. She was smirking meanly, her arms crossed and her body language giving off some kind of satisfaction. Instantly infuriated by her meddling nose, Sansa set her jaw and clenched her fists. Her fists slightly shaking, Zero took hold of her wrist, the signal of both a warning and reassurance. Yuki's hand simultaneously rested on the small of Sansa's back, and all three teens shot glares at the opposing trio.

"That's sweet, having your fellow guardians defend you like this." Kana said darkly. "It's almost like you can't protect yourself."

"It's cute how you have two girls pretending to be your friends just to look good." said Zero. "When in actual fact, most people in this academy hate you."

"Liar." Kana seethed, glaring at the boy. Sansa had to admit, she had some courage to snap at one of the scariest people on the grounds. Zero even unnerved Sansa from time to time.

"Get lost, Kana, before I do something I _won't _regret." Sansa hissed, and she felt Zero's hand tighten around her wrist in warning. Kana looked at her captive wrist and smirked, rising her gaze back to Sansa's.

"I'd like to see you try. As I recall, the last time you attacked me, you ended up in a pathetic ball on the floor with a bleeding nose." she said maliciously, her eyes glinting. Her companions giggled.

"I could break your neck."

"Prove it, guardian."

"Sansa!" Yuki snapped in Sansa's ear, wrapping her arms around her middle to keep her from lunging at this provoking girl in front of her. "Stop letting her get to you."

"Yeah, Sansa, listen to your precious Yuki." Kana taunted, smiling sweetly now. "Wouldn't want to see you get into trouble, especially if you're _ill_."

"You really are a bitch, Kana." Sansa snarled, straining to keep from fighting her friends' grip on her. Colour went to Kana's cheeks, like she wasn't used to being called such things. As far as Sansa knew, Kana had a rich father and well respected mother, and when she went home she was treated like royalty in her home and around it. Being called a bitch hardly seemed like something she'd take lightly, especially coming from Sansa's mouth.

"How dare you call me that!" she shrieked. Sansa knew all eyes were on them now, for the noise had died and the heat of their gazes scorched her skin. She hardly noticed, though. Zero's hand on her tightened even more, threatening to stop the flow of blood reaching her hand, and Yuki creased the back of her jacket with her fist. People whispered, girls sounding nervous while a handful of boys egged on the prospect of a girl fight. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, and just as Zero hissed in her ear "Don't make me drag you out of here, Sansa.", Koemi emerged from the crowd of girls, dressed in Day Class uniform and portrayed the look of a curious student.

"Kana?" she called, putting on a worried expression. "Kana, what's wrong?"

To Sansa's astonishment, Kana seemed to relax as she turned to look at Koemi. "Oh, nothing, Koemi. Just some disagreements between me and Sansa, here. Everything's alright."

"What the hell?" Sansa found herself whispering, inaudible to anyone but Yuki and Zero. They in turn nodded, agreeing with her comment. The two girls smiled at one another, linking arms as they went to join the crowd, Kana's two lap dogs rushing after them. The surrounding crowd moaned in both relief and disappointment. Soon the cries for the Night Class arose again, while the three guardians stood horridly still, their mouths hanging open in shock.

"What on earth did I just see?" Yuki whispered.

"Since when did Koemi care much for the Day Class students, especially Kana?" Zero said, frowning as he released Sansa's now throbbing wrist.

"I'll be one to find out." Sansa vowed. "After all, she is both my roommate and bodyguard."

The gates then began to open, the screaming grew louder, and the trio sprang into action without another word.

* * *

"Something wrong, roomy?" Koemi asked pleasantly later that evening. They were in Sansa's room, or rather their room, and Sansa lurked by the door glaring furiously, arms folded over her chest crossly. Koemi calmly brushed out her golden hair on her bed, her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful, like nothing in the world could ever unhinge her. It was most infuriating.

"Why have you been hanging out with Kana? Of _all _the people you could invest your company with, why her?" Sansa demanded, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose when Koemi slowly opened her eyes, a smile playing about her lips.

"Kana Masoni, childhood enemy of the precious second Cross daughter." she said quietly, running her fingers through her shimmering hair that cascaded over her shoulders.

"I'm not a Cross daughter, I'm a Narita." Sansa snarled, stalking over to stand in front of the Vampire Hunter. The girl looked up, her smile broadening.

"Oh, but you're not. Your birth name doesn't matter anymore; everyone associates you with Kaien Cross, so therefore you _are _a Cross."

"Shut up, and answer my question. My family name has nothing to do with you."

Koemi sighed, a lazy sound. She began to tie and untie knots within the strands of her hair, looking past Sansa and at the far wall. "Kana is interesting. Not many Forsaken are hated as ferociously as she hates you. In fact, being as pure as you all are, most people like your kind, vampires and humans alike. Vampires adore the smell of your blood, while humans admire the beauty you all obtain. Yet Kana has hated you on sight, right from the moment you both met―she was thirteen, and you fifteen, right?"

Confused and unable to answer, Sansa frowned and nodded in response.

"What happened between you two?" she pressed, peering at her curiously. Sansa remained silent for a moment, not understanding what Koemi was getting at, yet her mind raked through her memories until it landed on the right one. Seeing no other choice, she answered.

"Like you said, she was thirteen and I was fifteen. I was reading by the pond in the grounds here, completely minding my own business, and then she appeared from the trees. She stared at me for ages, barely blinking if I remember right. I asked if she was okay or if she was lost, and then she went wild. Started shrieking at me, calling me every foul name in the book, and before I knew it she was rushing me.

I dodged her, nearly falling in the pond, and when she came at me again I retaliated. I tried to grab her to hold her still, and when I did she head butted me. I fell, and out of the blue she ran away, sobbing." As she spoke her frown deepened, the bizarreness of what happened two years prior just as fresh now as it was then. "I don't know what was wrong with her, and she hasn't spoken of it since. For the first six months of her coming here it was like I was dead to her, and then since then she has made it her mission to torment me. No one knows about what truly happened, only that I ended up with a nose bleed."

"Interesting." Was all Koemi said, her face thoughtful.

"What does that have to do with anything, anyway?"

"I just think that for someone who hates someone as delicate as you, she needs to be watched." She smiled breezily. "Just a precaution. Shouldn't you be on duty by now?"

Sansa stayed still, glowering at her. "You think Kana could be a threat to me?"

"I think that there is more to her hate than you realise." she responded, but then perked up a little. "Or she could just be another jealous girl lusting for your job. Either way, I'm handling it. Now go, I need to get changed, and you standing in front of me like this makes me nervous."

Sansa rolled her eyes but turned towards the door. Just as her hand folded around the knob, Koemi said something that made her blood warm uncomfortably.

"Your nightmares... they're getting worse, aren't they?" she said delicately.

Sansa swallowed. "They're always the same."

"But they terrify you more and more each night." Koemi pressed, a strange eagerness to her tone. Sansa's hand cramped as she tightened it around the doorknob, though she stayed silent. "You start crying in your sleep now."

"And you're saying that makes me weak?"

"No." she answered softly. "It makes you more human than you have ever been."

On that note, Sansa left.

* * *

Out in the hall, Kana lurked in the shadows. Ordinarily, anyone out after curfew received a scolding and was ordered to their room, but tonight Sansa stood starkly still. The younger girl was just a little down from Sansa's door, arms folded, her gaze hard. In the low light, Kana looked darkly beautiful. Her cheekbones were more prominent, her eyes little sparkles in the dimness. What little light remained in the hall danced of each slender curve of her body beneath her thin, tight nightgown, from her to-die-for legs to the soft dip of her waist. In this light, her hair looked black, like shimmering silk with a touch of red where the light hit it. Somehow she looked so much older.

"Kana, what are you doing out here?" Sansa said, her throat oddly dry and she swallow.

"None of your business." the girl snapped harshly, moving from her statue-like stillness to approach Sansa.

"Actually it is. Get back to your room, Kana, it's passed curfew."

"Why so professional? Not two hours ago you were saying how you could break my neck. Go on, I dare you to do it. Prove how tough you make yourself out to be." Kana snarled, emerging into more light yet still lacking her usual childlike demeanour. The challenge shocked Sansa, making her blink and momentarily forget about everything but her unusual two year feud with this girl.

"I was angry, what I say when I'm angry shouldn't be taken seriously." she murmured, but Kana only smiled cruelly.

"Really? Or is this illness of yours affecting your ego?" she grinned. "Oh, everyone knows about how sick you are. You look worse every day. It's like you're dying." She moved closer, moving to Sansa's side, her right shoulder brushing against her left. She reached up, whispering in her ear. "I hope it kills you, Sansa Narita."

Sansa didn't think. She spun, her hands flashing out and slamming into Kana's bony shoulders. With force she shoved against the girl, ramming her violently into the wall with a hard _thud. _Kana's breath plunged out of her in a gasp, her hand instinctively going to her head that had collided with the wall. Sansa quickly stepped away, trembling with both fury and shock. However, nothing stopped the words from tumbling out of her mouth in a black tone.

"You know _nothing, _Kana. And maybe, if you're lucky, your wish will be granted. I don't know what the _hell _I did to make you hate me so much, but I sure as hell don't think whatever I did deserves a death wish put upon me." She stormed forward, getting in Kana's face, and for the first time the younger girl cowered back against the wall in fear. "Stay _away _from me, or I swear to God I'll kill you."

Not three seconds later, she was watching Kana leg it down the hall, airy sobs escaping her as she fled. Heaving with anger, Sansa leaned against the wall in order to regain her composer, seeing black spots against her vision while her heart hammered wildly in her chest. Her hand went to her face, and she bit down on her palm to withhold a sob of her own. Blood bubbled to the surface below her teeth and she whimpered, sinking to the floor on unstable legs. Tears blurred her sight, and unlatching her teeth from her hand she raked her fingers through her hair with trembling fingers.

And then she gasped, a sharp pain in her head that she had grown too familiar with, and her eyes snapped shut.

_That was most entertaining... You are so in touch with your emotions, Sansa... It's deliciously addictive..._

"Get... Out..." Sansa rasped through her teeth, fisting her hands in her hair. The voice in her head laughed. "Get... out of my... _head...!_"

_You know I can't do that, sweet one... you are mine to devour... you are mine to torment..._

Sansa gasped again, the pain sharper, and her legs began to spasm with a restraint that wasn't there. "Leave... me _alone!" _

_Stop fighting me...!_

"_Then get out!" _Sansa raged, though her voice was no louder than a whimper. With every bit of strength she had, she clambered to her feet, slumping against the wall more than once until she got her balance. Sweat ran down her temples, her skin too hot for her to bear. Through the pain and angered shrieking of the Darkling in her head, she staggered for the staircase, needing fresh air to attack the assault of heat on her body.

_Don't run from me, girl! _A fire burned in her chest, making her fight off a cry as she descended the stairs clumsily, desperately trying to see past the blindness in her eyes. She stumbled to the landing, racing for the doors, sprinting for air. Her heart felt like it was exploding with a terrible heat, hotter than fire, turning into the lava bubbling before it rose from the volcano. Unable to speak, falling painfully to her knees on the gravel outside, she screamed through the flames attacking her mind.

_I may be yours to torment, by you are mine to enrage until you catch me!_

_You little monster! _Howled the Darkling, stabbing at Sansa's head like a knife to a heart. Sansa reared up, rasping, fending off the screams she so dearly wanted to release. She wouldn't, _she wouldn't! _She could be strong, she could fight, and dammit, she was _not _losing yet another battle in her own head!

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

A scream echoed off the walls of her thoughts, loud and oddly deafening, and Sansa collapsed to the ground with a cry. She was panting furiously, her entire body trembling with exhaustion and terror, and she felt the sweat drip down her face like water. She fought off the gloomy mists of unconsciousness, fighting to win every angle of this battle, right to the point she refused to give in to the dark.

Absently she recalled herself dragging herself to her feet, her skin still terribly hot, the only sound she could hear being her heart. She started walking, or rather _stumbling_, in the direction of the pond, following her inner map of the academy without meaning to. The line was a blur from when she had gotten to her feet to when she felt the wetness of the pond encircling first her feet, rising to her knees, waist and finally her chest. It felt as if she could feel the steam sizzling out her blood, and without a thought she inhaled a breath and ducked below the water's surface, cold and blissful while she sank.

She looked up, the water rippling, the moon looking alive above in the sky. She watched as her own arm reached up, her fingers looking like they were touching the rippling moon. She could feel her lungs beginning to burn, begging for air, but she was so transfixed in the beauty of the blue and white above her, she couldn't obey them straight away.

Her eyes drooped closed dreamily, the water swaying her towards a blissful sleep, beckoning her to float in the world of her dreams. She nearly succumbed to it, ignoring the bellowing of her lungs, pushing away the raging beat of her heart. It was nice down here, away from reality and instead drifting in the beauty of the water.

And then she heard her mother, distant in her memory but her tone as loving as when she had spoken during her life.

_Remember, my little princess, that no matter how bad things get, you will always have something to fight for. _

Sansa's eyes snapped open, her hands clutching the fabrics over her chest, above her heart. She sank, deeper and deeper until her shoes touches the mucky bottom, and with a new ferocity, she kicked herself to the surface. If she was going to die, it was not going to be through the easy way out.

Her head burst from the water, droplets sprinkling the air like diamonds from the tips of her wet hair, and for the first time in a long, long time, she saw her world in a new, more vivid clarity.

* * *

**Let me know your thoughts! :D**


	10. Awakening

**Sorry it's a tad late guys, been super busy with work! Thanks for the reviews, I love reading them! **

* * *

Aido, as well as everyone else, was incredibly agitated. Something in the air was wrong, his senses heightening impeccably. His shocking eyes snapped towards the window at the same moment as Ruka's, quickly followed by several other gazes. Beyond the glass, among the darkened woods, he could smell a disturbance. Water. If he strained a little, he could hear its movement, violent splashes forming in his mind's eye. And, among the natural goodness of the liquid, he could smell the luscious scent of Sansa. So much purity in one go hit him like a tidal wave; earth, salt, mint and water. Normally he welcomed such a scent, but there was something sour among it. He could only smell sourness in her scent when something was wrong―when she was blacking out.

"You smell that?" Ruka whispered behind the monotone on the teacher.

"Sansa." Akatsuki murmured, a frown tainting his features. Aido swallowed, flicking his gaze to Lord Kaname, whose eyes were pinned on the world beyond the glass. He sensed it, too, it seemed. Aido glanced forward, noticing the teacher's back was to the class, and then edged his way closer to the window, Ruka and Akatsuki close behind. Ichijo lingered at Lord Kaname's shoulder, and the five of them gazed outside silently while the teacher rambled on.

Sansa was climbing over the wall when he located her, pulling herself over the ledge and landing in a wet heap on the outside corridor. Her chest rose and fell heavily, like she was struggling to catch her breath. The concrete around her darkened with water, her usually dark blue uniform turning into a night sky black. Her long black hair glistened like silk, pushed out of her flushed face that shone with a coating of water. From here, he could see her eyes, the long lashes glittering with water droplets.

She lay still for a long moment before rolling onto her back, her gaze lifted to the sky as her breathing steadied. Even in the low light, his expert eyes could see the vicious clarity of her green eyes, seeming to glow with a new life he hadn't seen before. Aido was, to his astonishment, mesmerized by her sudden beauty. She looked like the darkest of angels, fallen from the rain clouds above. She was everything dark and mysterious he had read in books, that girl with a hidden secret, ugly behind the breathtaking beauty.

He thought back a few weeks, when Ruka had compared her to being a vampire, and indeed she could pass for one. The perfect shape of her cheekbones, the redness of her full lips, the crystal of her eyes. Her body, too, was like that of a vampire; thin, elegantly curved, her height short and enabling her stability tall people lacked. In his mind's eye, Aido replaced her dark uniform with a white one, and though imaginary, he knew that said uniform would transform her beauty to a far more dramatic splendour.

"She fought it off." Lord Kaname whispered.

Aido dragged his eyes away from the girl outside, taken aback when he realised where his thoughts had carried him. "Pardon?"

"The Darkling." Lord Kaname clarified. "I can smell it. That girl fought it off." He smiled, a proud look shadowing his features.

"Good girl." Ruka murmured, a small smile on her lips.

"But how?" Akatsuki said, looking puzzled.

"Willpower." Ichijo stated quietly. "I knew it was there, and it was only a matter of time before she herself awakened it. All she needs now is guidance on how to keep that willpower awake."

It wasn't just willpower, though, was it? Aido knew that there was strength in Sansa's blood that was yet to be put to the test. It was the kind of strength that transformed both a person's look and smell. Sansa was naturally strong, just like Yuki and Zero, but there was something deeper, a strength that was embedded in her nature. She had the power that went beyond any physical vigour, something that coated her scent like smoke. It wasn't just her purity that drew both Aido and his fellow species towards her, but it was also that dark unknown deep inside.

Being as curious as he was, in that moment he wanted nothing more than to taste that very power in her blood. Not a second later, he silently cursed himself for his ongoing lust.

Suddenly, Sansa began to laugh. It was such a bizarre thing for her to do, yet Aido found such a comfort in the sound he didn't care. He looked at her, watching as her hand went to her face, and the disbelief in her laugh was clear as day. She trembled, probably from both happiness and cold, and for a second he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his jacket to shield her from the cold. He forced the image out of his head, irritated until her laugh lifted him to a lighter place.

It was the first time he had ever heard her laugh with this much genuineness.

She sat up then, taking a deep breath to compose herself. She brushed away the excess water from her lashes, flicking them away with her thin, pale fingers. She looked down at herself, and suddenly she looked confused. Almost hesitantly she stood, fisting her skirts in her hands before twisting them, draining the fabric of water. What followed was the removal of her jacket, which she balled up and drained, too. Due to the revealing attachment of her white shirt, Aido finally had to look away, blood warming his cheeks uncomfortably.

"Delightful." said one of his fellow classmates, a boy whose name he didn't know. The boy's dark eyes glistened with lust as he locked his gaze on Sansa, his thoughts clearer than Aido would have liked them to be. Aido glared ferociously, a snarl rumbling in his throat. The boy looked at him, eyes wide, and he slunk back to his rightful place among the class.

_What is _wrong _with me? _he thought harshly, clenching his eyes shut.

"Thank you, Aido." said Lord Kaname.

"Huh?"

"For defending Sansa's dignity." he stated, smiling at his young follower. More blood rushed to his cheeks, and now caught under the teasing gazes of Akatsuki, he decided that it was time for a blood tablet and a boring lecture to distract himself.

Somehow, despite him being silent throughout the brief check upon Sansa just now, Aido felt as if he had spoken more words than anyone else.

* * *

Kaien Cross was out on the grounds when he found his daughter. Sansa was strolling towards him, dripping wet, her step oddly lighter than usual. He frowned; she was _smiling, _as rather brightly to say the least.

"Sansa? Are you alright?" he asked, stopping as she grinned up at him. She skipped straight to him, her hands grasping his arms as she beamed up into his face. It was rare to see her like this beyond the walls of his building, where Sansa, Yuki and Zero resided during weekends. He often walked in on Sansa and Yuki laughing at the TV together, or Sansa and Zero squabbling half-heartedly over something as silly as homework, and more than once he had caught all three of them laughing over dinner together. But _never _had he seen Sansa off guard outside of those rare occasions! She almost sparkled like a diamond in front of him, a new life forming behind her eyes that he had thought she'd lost as a child. She looked _giddy. _

"I did it!" she declared.

"Did what?"

"Fought off the Darkling! I got her out of my head!" she cried, hugging him energetically. "I am strong enough! I thought I wasn't but I am!"

"Sansa, darling―" he grasped her shoulders and pushed back gently, holding her at arm's length. His hands dampened over her shirt that clung crudely to her. His parental instinct took over, and he had to fight the urge to tell her to get changed immediately. "What are you talking about?"

"She attacked me again, that monster in my head. She tried to make me pass out again but I didn't! I told her to get out of my head and she did."

He pressed his hand to her forehead, frowning. Her skin was alarmingly hot despite the cold of the water that drenched her. "You're burning up."

"You're not _listening_ to me! I don't need a bunch of blood sucking vampires to train me, I can take care of myself! I _can _beat this thing in my head, I know I can―" she wobbled then, going heavy mid-sentence, and she felt forwards into his chest.

"_Sansa―!" _he shouted, alarmed. He dropped to his knees, carefully adjusting her in his lap, and almost immediately the light in her eyes died away. He could smell her sweat, her face losing its giddiness as a faint fear blurred her features. He pushed her hair out of her face tenderly, sighing as her eyes began to close.

"I thought... I thought I could fight it..." she whispered, tears in her vision.

"You need to sleep." he told her sternly. "Those invasions of yours take all of your energy, that's something you can't fight."

"I don't want to sleep! I want to prove I can fight this!" she shrieked, squirming. He tightened his grip on her, staring at her with a hard expression.

"I'm telling you as a father that you _must _sleep, before you make yourself ill. We'll talk when you get your strength back." He adjusted her in his arms, lifting her as he stood. He hated seeing her like this, so vulnerable. This was the first time actually experiencing her passing out on him, and he fell even more sick than when he was met by her unconscious body. What he hated more, though, was seeing that light in her eyes die right in front of him, like watching the flame of someone's heart pinch out abruptly, plunging one into darkness. Later Sansa would be infuriated with herself, even though it wasn't her fault. He hated forcing her to spend time with the very things she hated, but not as much as he hated himself for not being able to help her.

"F-father," she whispered against his chest, her voice incredibly weak now. Kaien's heart jumped at the word, something he so rarely called him by, and for a moment he wondered if she was hallucinating.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to die." she croaked, tears merging with the water on her cheeks. His heart pinched, and with a stride towards him home, he pressed his lips to her hair.

"That's not going to happen." he promised her.

"But it is, though, isn't it? I was born not to live but to die. I can't even stay awake after fighting off a Darkling. I'm weak, but I don't want to die!" she cried, weeping into his chest. _Good God. _The poor girl was in an emotional turmoil! Everything in her eyes must have been so confusing and frightening. One moment she thought she was strong and capable of fighting, only to be thrust into the depths of hard truths that she was far from being able to take care of herself. Kaien closed his eyes, rushing her to his house, his face in her hair.

"Sleep, Sansa." he whispered. "Nothing will hurt you, not while I'm here."

"But―"

"_Please_, Sansa." The strain in his throat hurt and was audible in his tone. Sansa must have heard it, too, because she said nothing else. She took a deep breath before letting her head slack against his chest, and in mere seconds, her entire body became dead weight.

_Lord help me. _Kaien thought, praying to no one in particular as he hurried Sansa through his front door.

* * *

Sansa woke to something cool on her forehead, a cloth perhaps. Her body tingled with nervous energy, her thoughts muddled for a moment too long. Her heart peaked with uncertain panic, her eyes wondering about the room beyond a blinding light above her. The light burned the back of her eyes, making her squint against them. Not a second later, though, the room she was in swam into view; the open door ahead of her, the nightstand to her left with the photo of her, Yuki and Zero, the ticking of the clock above her head, the dozens of books coating the floor of the room like a makeshift carpet.

Her room, in Kaien Cross's home among the academy.

She groaned, sitting up and catching the cloth as it fell from her head. She shivered, still in her wet uniform, though it was more damp than anything. Pinned on the wall in front of her was a note, clearly in Kaien's handwriting, and she squinted to read it.

_Get changed into dry clothes and come to the dining room,_

_Father. _

Gingerly, she removed herself from the bed and dug out some old clothes from her wardrobe, feeling weak on her legs and her fingers not truly gripping for anything, only fumbling. She settled for a pair of night shorts and a tattered shirt, stripping from her wet clothes and slipping into her dry, more comfortable ones. Grasping a towel from the foot of her bed, she towel-dried her long hair as she left her room, taking slow, attentive steps down the stairs.

As she walked, the memories of the evening drifted back to her; the encounter with Kana in the corridor, the threat she and Kana directed to one another, the attack of the Darkling, the cleansing of her body in the pond, the voice of her mother... she remembered a burst of energy she hadn't felt in years, a happiness that overrode the heaviness of unconsciousness. She had felt so light it was as if she'd taken some sort of drug, and everything around her had seemed so bright and clear that she thought she was living a dream. But then she found Kaien, had tried to explain to him how good she felt, and suddenly that brightness inside her had been sucked out of her like a vacuum. She'd felt every last bit of her energy drain, the darkness overtaking her, and right now she had never felt more stupid in her life.

To be so naive would have her killed.

Yet now, as she looked around the walls coated in pictures of herself and her somewhat siblings, she thought there was a new light to them, like she was seeing them clearer. In fact, everything around her looked slightly better, more crisp in vision. Colours seemed to slightly glow; the shine of a glass framed photo glimmered like diamonds, the fibres of the carpet looked more defined.

What had Ishio said? _Theoretically, if your kind are hunted for your entire life, evolution would evolve you to an extent that perhaps your could become just a slight bit more sensitive to things around you. _

Her heart thumped with nervousness as she rounded a corner into the kitchen, where Kaien sat at the dining table just beyond the kitchen itself, his face in his hands. The great window behind him reflected his appearance, a ghost among the black of the night. She paused in the doorway, momentarily stunned, for she had never seen him look so emotionally caught up before. His hands trembled slightly as he rubbed his eyes behind his glasses, and from here she could see the shadows dusting the skin below his eyes. She saw the individual hairs of his ponytail, single strands escaping the ribbon. To anyone else he probably just looked tired, but to Sansa he looked close to a well covered up wreck.

She cleared her throat, and she didn't miss him jump. He looked at her, eyes wide, and then forced that childlike grin into action. "Oh! Thank God you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Are you okay?" she found herself asking, despite everything. He gaped at her for a moment, and his face turned sheepish.

"I'm fine, but you worried me back there. Can you remember anything? You tried to explain something to me, about fighting off your Darkling―"

"She's not _mine._" she spat, though not at him. Sansa slowly went to join her adoptive father at the table, sitting directly opposite him. "She never will be. I'm not hers, either."

"So it's a female?" he said. "This is the first time you've mentioned a gender."

"It sounds female, so that's what I'm assuming. And to answer your question, I remember everything." _In alarmingly crisp detail. _She added in her thoughts.

"Tell me what happened." he pressed gently, resting his head in his hands with interest.

She missed out the part with Kana in the corridor, and simply explained the sudden attack of the Darkling, how she tried to taunt her in her head. Sansa told him that something willed her to fight back, though she couldn't pinpoint what it was. She said that she felt something hot overcome her, and that her body started fighting before she knew what she was really doing. She explained the screaming match in her head, followed by the dead silence that followed.

She went on to say how she travelled to the pond to cool off, and how she felt that spark flicker to life inside her, willing her to live and fight back―that spark being the voice of her mother. And then she told him of that sudden energy, up until the point she collapsed in Kaien's arms saying she didn't want to die.

Kaien never interrupted her, and when she finished, his expression was severe.

"What?" she asked, and suddenly felt very tired.

"Something about you is different." he said quietly.

"I _feel _different." she agreed.

"How so?"

"It's like I've been given a new vision. Everything seems clearer now, more vivid. It's so strange. Maybe I'm just tired―"

"No. I can see that clarity in your eyes. Before, when you woke up from a blackout, you always looked close to death. Even as a child, after your night terrors, I often watched over you for fear that your heart would stop beating. But now, looking at you, you have never looked more alive. Something is changing in you, Sansa, and I have reason to believe that that battle with the Darkling has something to do with it."

"Ishio said something about me having dormant heightened senses." she said, and she felt an odd flutter develop in her gut. Excitement? Fear? _Both? _

"I know," he nodded. "Kaname informed me this morning. He told me that himself and the others have reason to believe that you have powers in need of unlocking." He smiled then, an excited glint in his eyes. "I think that the Forsaken in you is beginning to wake up."

"Wake up for what?"

"The biggest fight of your life."

Behind Kaien's glasses, Sansa saw his hazel orbs swim with expectation, and the two of them stared at one another for a long while.

Then they both grinned.

* * *

Elsewhere, the vampires of the Night Class started at something in the air changing. They could smell the change of something, the blossoming of an inner life. The air thinned with this new scent, and they could even taste the deliciousness of this reformation. The image of a black rose flowering formed in their heads, a tainted beauty about to be awakened. The smell that came with it was strong; roses tainted with poison, as well as earth, mint and sugar.

Almost simultaneously, their throats burned ferociously, and everyone drank from their glasses of dissolved blood tablets. The rose in their heads continued to blossom, and among the group, Aido grinned over the rim of his glass.

* * *

**Review!**


	11. Locked Within

**It's a long one guys! Enjoy!**

* * *

To Sansa, Aido truly did have stunning eyes. With this new clarity in her vision, she could see every last detail of his orbs up close. Through his intoxicating scent―just like any other vampire―and the ridiculous beauty of his face and hair, it was his eyes that dazzled her. Turquoise like the shallow depths of a coral reef, the black rims of his irises thick and making the main colour practically explode in her face. She could even see the faint shades of his eyes, waves of light and dark turquoise, swimming with brightness.

Had she not been holding a blade to his throat, she would have stared into those eyes all day.

"Very good." Ichijo said distantly, his voice pleased and good-natured. Aido had his hand fisted in Sansa's hair, pulled violently free from its bun, and the strain pulled on her scalp uncomfortably. His other hand was at the small of her back, gripping the lower half of her top as he held her against him. Sansa's free hand was at his shoulder, nails gnawing through his plain shirt, though he hardly seemed fazed by it. The fine edge of her knife pressed lightly into the delicate skin of his throat, not quite cutting through the flesh but enough to make him swallow nervously. He stared down into her own eyes, perhaps admiring the same beauty she saw in his, and slowly he released his hold on her entirely.

"She could move her hands faster. She needs better reflexes; that was good, but not good enough up against a Level E." Rima said, Senri nodding in agreement at her side. "We forget that they can be stupid, but their lust makes them quicker than us."

"I'd say that under the right circumstances, she'd fight off a Level E fairly well. I mean come on, she disabled one when she was _nine years old._" said Ishio, earning nods from the others in the room.

Sansa stood motionless, panting slightly from the brief attack of Aido. She'd been here for just over an hour now, which had consisted of battling Ichijo, Rima and Aido, and the encounters were hardly easy going.

First, being unprepared, Ichijo had had her pinned to the ground in under two minutes, his weight crushing her to the hard floor. The notion had been repeated until she'd gathered her senses and dodged his lunges, eventually tripping him and keeping him down with her foot on his chest.

Next, Rima attacked her using her electricity, which Sansa had dodged completely until the very last bolt, having skimmed her shoulder and burned away the first few layers of her skin. She hadn't been given a chance to blink; Aido had come rushing at her, knocking her to the ground with a strangled cry on her part. He'd grabbed her hair, yanked her to her feet and made the notion of leaning into her neck. What he hadn't seen, though, was the flash of her hand to the thigh beneath her skirt, unleashing the first knife she could grasp. Both had stood frozen, her hair tumbling down over Aido's hand in a thick, shimmery wave of ink, and it felt like time had stopped until Ichijo spoke.

Now, though, she just felt annoyed. "I wish you'd stop talking about me like I'm not here." she said bitterly, brushing her hair out of her face with one hand and disposing of her knife with the other. Her hair was damp with sweat between her fingers. Several pairs of eyes turned to her, almost quizzical. She folded her arms over her chest, glaring at them all; them being Ishio, Akatsuki, Ruka, Rima, Senri, Aido and Ichijo.

She couldn't help noticing an individual quality to them with her new eyes. Ruka had a particular colour of hair, the pale brown strands hiding away thinner, more obscure lower tones. Akatsuki had a less pale skin than the others, making him seem less flawless but more admirable at the same time. Senri's eyes were like clear glass, not the grey she once thought them to be. Rima's face looked no different than usual, though when Sansa looked at her fingers, they seemed to faintly pulse a faint electric blue, most likely to do with the surging electricity flowing through her veins. Naturally Aido's quality was his eyes, though it had always been that element. Ichijo had an incredibly gentle complexion to her now, everything about him pale and glowing with warmth and kindness. Finally, Ishio had a look in his grey eyes that saw more than other pairs of eyes, a look of knowledge indescribable, like a dark mist obscuring the true image from view.

They had all been beautiful to her before, but now they were breathtaking.

"Forgive us," Ishio said quietly. "it's not often we associate ourselves in the company of a human on a regular basis."

"Charming." she said coldly, searching for the lost ribbon for her hair. She picked it up from the floor, struggling to fix her hair up in its bun. Eventually, Rima flitted forward to help, and Sansa found nothing in her to flinch from her delicate fingers. Despite the cold aura of Rima, just like all vampires, Sansa couldn't help but embrace the warmth of her as her fingers idly worked her thick locks.

"Shall we try again?" Rima asked once she was finished, stepping away from Sansa. Rima was a little taller than Sansa, just by a few inches, and for a moment Sansa realised just how small and delicate she was, making the realism of the danger around her burst with vibrancy. She shivered, red eyes appearing in her mind's eye for the briefest of moments. _No, _she thought, _don't be frightened, you're not nine anymore. _

Squaring her shoulders, she nodded in confirmation.

A moment later, she was once again in the centre of a circle of vampires, and before she could even blink she found herself ducking, rolling across the floor as the blood whip from Senri's finger chased after her. She shrieked when it snaked around her ankle, twisting and flailing to try and free herself, and the muscles in her body screamed with the unnatural strain she thrust upon them. The solid blood coiled tighter, twisting its way up to her knee, stopping the blood flow. Her leg began to throb, causing her to begin panicking, thrashing harder.

"Sansa!" shouted Aido, but he sounded far away. "Hey! Stop panicking and _focus_!" He didn't sound angry but he did sound stern, like a tutor working one on one with a dancer or gymnast. She tried to cling to his guidance, clearing the panic from her mind and the terrible eight year old memories with it.

She went still for a second, breathing steadily as Senri continued to restrain her, his blood hot and wet against her skin. Then, tensing every muscle in her body, she lashed for her weapons and sat up, slashing at the line of red before the coil of the leg. She cut through, and the blood on her leg dissolved away, the rest of it dispersing back into Senri's finger.

"You panic too much." said Ruka, though her voice was far from impatient. She was merely pointing out flaws that needed work.

Sansa clambered to her feet, the unnatural clarity of the room hurting her eyes. "I can't help it." she said childishly, though she didn't care.

"Not now, maybe, but you will." Akatsuki said softly. He looked over at Ishio. "Perhaps it's time to focus on her senses now. The more she gets to know them, the more she'll be able to work better on her reflexes."

"I suppose," Ishio said thoughtfully, rubbing his jaw. His ghostly eyes were suddenly tender, and Sansa instantly stiffened, her pulse beginning to climb in speed. "You know what that means."

"_Must_ you invade my thoughts again?" she said in an almost whiny tone, desperately trying to cover up her fear.

"I understand it's hard for you; the invasion of your thoughts is your very antonym. But I need you to have faith in me." His voice was so soft, like the brush of a feather on her skin. That didn't matter. Her body shook, the too vivid memories of the Darkling attacking her stabbing fear into her heart. She dropped to her knees, holding herself as if to keep herself from coming undone.

Not a beat later, someone was murmuring in her ear. "Hey, we're not going to hurt you. We'd _never _hurt you, Sansa." It was Aido, using that gentle tone she had only heard once before, after her first session with them two days ago.

She shuddered, blinking away the burn behind her eyes. "You don't understand what it's like, having that monster hurting me when I least expect it. You don't understand how awful it is..."

"You fought her off, though, did you not?" Ishio said, kneeling down on her other side, his hand on her shoulder. "The other night. We could smell it in your blood."

"Yes, but I still couldn't stay awake. No matter what I do, I always pass out, and that will only have me killed."

"Then that's something we'll work on." Ishio assured, squeezing her shoulder with encouragement. The gesture felt so human to her, as human as when Yuki grabbed her into a hug or when Zero patted her head. How could something so vicious, so animalistic, be so gentle and kind? Was Ishio even a vampire? She shook her head slightly; of _course _he was. They all were, and she was doing exactly what her mother had told her not to.

_Never be fooled by the red eyed monsters, _her mother whispered to her thoughts, fresh from dying memories. She remembered little of her mother now. She couldn't remember if she was beautiful, or what tone of brown hair she had. She couldn't remember the exact colour of her eyes―brown or hazel?―or her complexion. She was more of a blur, like someone from her dream who never really came into focus. Worst of all, Sansa had no evidence of her existence; no photos, no items that once belonged to her, nothing. That's what hurt the most.

She started when Aido tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. It had been so long since anyone had done that to her, simply because she had never allowed anyone close enough to do it. It was rare for her to even hug anyone, and half the time it was simply because Yuki forced it upon her. She stared at Aido in astonishment, and he too looked as puzzled as she felt. Gingerly he dropped his hand, moving away from her.

No one else seemed to notice the exchange. "I need you to trust me, Sansa." Ishio said, drawing her attention back to him.

"I can never trust you." she said truthfully. "You have to understand that. I may be a Forsaken, but that doesn't make me any less human."

The boy sighed, closing his eyes. "Alright, but will you at least try not to fight me? I know it's a lot to ask, but―"

"I'll try," she cut him off, her shoulders seeming to deflate with defeat. "but don't expect a lot of effort."

He smiled. "Sounds like a deal."

* * *

Ishio pulled Sansa to her feet by her elbows, studying her face carefully. His heart nearly bled for the girl. Those green eyes were nothing but fearful, her tiny frame shuddering faintly beneath his hands. He didn't want to frighten her―he never wanted to frighten anyone. He hated how his nature caused others to fear him, especially this precious girl before him. Unlike his companions, he had resented his own nature from the moment he was born, and situations like this did not help.

He cleared his throat. "Sansa, if you like I can put you to sleep. That way you won't feel my presence; it'll be like a foggy dream."

The fear in her eyes only grew. "I don't take comfort in sleeping anymore." she said quietly, and before he could ask, Aido piped up behind him.

"Why?" he asked, and if Ishio wasn't mistaken, he swore he could hear concern in the other vampire's voice.

"Nightmares." Sansa whispered, and when Aido made no response, Ishio turned to look at him. The other boy's jaw was set, his eyes hard on the floor while his thoughts carried him away. _How peculiar, _he thought absently before looking back at Sansa, smiling warmly.

"I'll scare away any nightmare that tries to creep up on you." he told her softly. "You have my word."

Sansa considered this, her eyes glistening with anxiety, before she sighed heavily. Her breath wafted to his nostrils, making them flare with lust. He swallowed the burn, and with it her intoxicating aroma. He covered the slight distraction with a breezy smile, and led Sansa from the hall, Aido and the others quickly following.

In the drawing room, Ishio turned to face the others, Sansa nearly bumping into his chest for lack of concentration. "You can all go until I'm finished." he declared. "But of course you can stay if you wish."

Rima, Senri, Ichijo and Akatsuki took their leave. Ichijo passed Sansa with a smile, chucking her under the chin with kind encouragement. Akatsuki merely smiled at her with support before climbing the stairs, Rima and Senri dashing up ahead of him while Ichijo disappeared into the kitchen. The tall boy turned back, though, catching his cousins in his line of sight, silently asking them if they were joining him.

Ruka hesitated by Sansa's side, uncertain on what to do. "Lord Kaname would want us to stay with Sansa, to ensure her safety." she said, and Ishio inwardly sighed. Always Lord Kaname. How could she not smell the lust Akatsuki released for her? How could she not see the want in the other boy's eyes? Then again, when under the spell of a pureblood like Kaname, he supposed that Ruka was just a lost soul trying to decide what she thought was right in Lord Kaname's name. Lord Kaname had specific orders held over Sansa, and it was only natural that Ruka would want to obey them on every level.

"Whatever," Akatsuki replied, stalking up the stairs and disappearing into the corridor. Ruka made a somewhat hurt and confused sound, earning a look from Sansa.

"It's alright, you can go." she told the other girl quietly.

"My job is to protect you, and that applies to being protected by my own kind." Ruka said flatly. Sansa smiled a little.

"But I can see you don't want to be here. You must be exhausted; it _is _the early hours of the morning."

"You just want to get rid of us." Aido said, though his voice was softer than the words behind it.

Sansa nodded. "True, but what I'm saying is true whether I want you to stay or not." When Ruka nor Aido moved, she sighed. "Honestly, if you have to stay in my presence then knock yourselves out, it just makes you look needy and stalkerish."

Ishio chuckled, and Aido restrained a smile. Ruka, on the other hand, glared furiously at the human. "For someone so small you are incredibly rude sometimes." she snapped.

"Wouldn't you be if you lived with a monster in your head, is lucky to get more than five hours sleep, and constantly has vampires and Vampire Hunters following you?" When Sansa received no response she smirked. "_Exactly._"

"Come on, now, let's not rip each other's throats out. Follow me." Ishio said quickly, and began to lead the trio up the staircase. At the top he turned left, passing several doors until he reached the one he desired. It was a room unused, awaiting roommates that it would probably never see. Pushing it open, he heard Sansa take a shocked intake of breath.

The room was incredibly spacious, capable of holding up to four students. Three of four walls were painted cream, whereas the North wall was painted a deep crimson. The carpet was a cream colour with red flecks in it, smelling as new now as it did upon installation. The dark furniture that decorated the room was all oak, dark and luxurious, with two four poster single beds at the North wall, two desks at the East, a great wardrobe that spanned the South wall, and a great window that took up much of the remaining wall. It was incredibly open, somehow more breathable with no one living in it. Sansa walked inside, looking around in awe, her beautiful eyes glittering.

"It's beautiful, nothing like the Sun Dormitory rooms." she breathed, dancing her fingers over the oak doors of the wardrobe.

"This room is designed for special visitors," said Aido. "mostly respected nobles who are much higher up and associate themselves personally with purebloods."

"It's rarely used," said Ishio, gesture to the ridiculously tidy beds, the glossy wooden surfaces and the new, clean air itself. "Educated nobles hardly come here unless it's an emergency."

Sansa turned to them, her eyes wary. "So now's the time you put me to sleep?"

"Yes," said Ruka, lingering by the door behind her cousin. The girl was frowning, perhaps still insulted from Sansa's truthful snap at her downstairs.

"You'd better hope the wind doesn't change, Ruka." Aido said, smirking. Ruka returned his remark with a deadly glare, and without a word she stormed from the room entirely, disappearing in the way they'd just come from. Aido shook his head, grinning slightly. "She's so easy to torture."

"You're lucky she doesn't use that power of hers on you." Ishio said, grinning. Then he turned back to Sansa, who stood motionless by the window. Slowly advancing on her, he formed his most friendly smile, not wishing to frighten her further.

"Like last time, I won't outstay my welcome." he told her smoothly. She nodded. Aido crept up behind her, his intentions clear. Setting his jaw, Ishio stared right into the girl's eyes, raising his hand to her face.

"Sleep now, Sansa." he whispered, and with a wave of his face and a faint purple glow to follow, Sansa's eyes drooped. Losing her stance, her knees buckled, her chin dropping to her chest as unconsciousness took her. Aido caught her swiftly under her arms, hoisting her up. Quickly readjusting her, he swung her effortlessly into his arms and walked over to the bed on the left of him, gently laying her down into the mattress. The softness of the mattress hugged every limb, the pillow welcoming her head into a feather-like comfort.

Aido stepped back and looked at her, his expression strange. Not blank, but certainly hiding something. Concern, maybe? Or just a need to know what she was? Everyone knew that Sansa was a Forsaken, yet no one truly knew what it meant to _be_ a Forsaken. It promised an early death by the hands of a birth-bound monster, yet there was nothing else to actually define a Forsaken. What powers did they have? What was so precious about their blood that it needed to be spilt by fate? _What _was the creature hidden beneath the human skin?

"Would you like to wait outside, Aido?" Ishio murmured. The blond shook his head, taking a seat on the other bed.

"Whether she'll admit it or not, I'm more familiar to her than you are. She needs something recognizable to wake up to." he said quietly, his eyes on the floor.

"You care about her, don't you?" Ishio asked, though he refused to ask it in a teasing manner. There was nothing funny about Sansa Narita Cross.

"I've watched her grow up. Something about seeing her spirit practically die is hard to watch." He looked at Ishio with a small smile. "Besides, what's fun about teasing someone who has no strength to fight back anymore?"

"Indeed." He smiled, and then stepped forward, falling lightly to his knees at Sansa's bedside.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled her scent deeply, letting it settle in his lungs as naturally as the air he breathed. He reached for the scent, teased the smell of her in his mind, clinging to the aroma that was her identity. Black rose petals fluttered through the air behind his lids, drifting like black snow. He floated with them, sinking into her mind, until the petals burst into flames all around him, and simultaneously he and the slumbering Sansa gasped with a burst of connection between them.

Ishio found himself in a memory. An old memory, seeing through weak eyes that struggled to see through darkness. Sansa's thoughts alerted him that she was hiding under a bed, eight years ago in the home she'd first grown up in. He could feel the burn of her blood, hear the pounding of her raging tiny heart, and the fear of her skin was thick in the air. The memory flitted ahead, a blur of red and white and the feel of fangs on skin.

He was watching Sansa now, no older than nine, whimpering on her knees. Ishio had come across this memory the first time he'd entered her mind, though he'd quickly dismissed it for he was not intending to watch it yet. Back then he'd been searching for the source of her agony, and now he was searching for her inner powers. Something in his gut told him that this moment would lead him to where he wanted to go.

The red eyed monster―as Sansa's inner child called them―approached little Sansa with a furious look in his eyes, taunting her on how he could end all of her pain and send her back to her mother, who lay motionless just a few feet away. Ishio watched, having to remind himself that this was a memory and not a live event. Little Sansa stayed silent, her eyes fixed on the blood thirsty Level E before her. Seconds ticked by as the beast continued to advance on her, closer and closer he came, until suddenly―

Ishio flinched as the monster's screaming filled the dark hallway, nothing short of agony and terror splitting his eardrums. He watched in astonishment as he collapsed to the floor, flailing and begging for it to stop, where all the while little Sansa remained silent and still, staring at him with the deadliest of expressions, tears pooling down her face.

And then Ishio felt her emotions; white hot rage, her blood so scorching it was like lava in her veins. He caught images from her thoughts, which consisted of various ways in which she could kill this Level E in front of her; stabbing, shooting, beating, growing more and more graphic until the monster howled so loud Ishio though that the glass windows might shatter.

When it all stopped not a minute later, Ishio wasted no time in clinging to the foul energy that clung to the air once little Sansa collapsed to her side. The memory blazed away and he found himself in a dark mass, a brightness burning ahead of him that he knew he had to reach. He raced for it, and it seemed to take him forever to reach. Once he did, it was nothing more than a ball of light no bigger than a football. He extended his fingers to it, and for a second nothing happened.

He fell when the ball obliterated like fireworks, so bright his eyes begged for dimness. It didn't matter. He closed his eyes when the light enveloped him, engulfing him into the deepest parts of Sansa's nature that he'd never experienced in anyone before. He was plunged into an abyss of senses and undiscovered powers. It was slightly similar to the mind of a noble vampire, where their senses and powers floated, shielded away from the main thoughts and mind-work. This, though, was something more purer and beautiful, as delicate as petals but as unyielding as brick walls.

_This, _he thought to himself in disbelief, _is what the Darkling wants._ Every heightened sense, just a little better than even his own, and a power that even he couldn't reach. He doubted that Sansa could, either, for this was the part of her mind that she was yet to unlock for herself. He felt snippets of her senses; crystal vision that she had already partially gained, a sense of smell so sharp he was sure she'd be able to smell the blood of a mouse ten miles away, the hearing three times clearer than any vampires, the ability to sense a presence before her sense caught on, and beyond that a power just as great, if not greater, than the one she'd used to save herself eight years ago.

Everything in this part of her head was designed for her survival. Everything here was made for the moment she and the Darkling came face to face for the first and last time. _This _is what needed protecting until the moment came for her to use it.

Before that, he needed to somehow coax her into reaching this forbidden nest of survival.

He withdrew from this place in her astonishing mind, running through the mass and away from the brightness, running until he no longer saw sense, and finally black petals fell all around him. Black petals with flickering orange rims, burning away with a slow, fierce intention. It was the burn in her blood, and somehow he knew that when her body was attacked, the black rose of her soul blew up in flames, meaning the end of her consciousness and strength.

Somehow, he and the others needed to figure out how to keep that rose alive and blossoming.

* * *

When Ishio came back to his own mind, he was sweating, Aido jumped forward, momentarily alarmed as the other boy gasped for air. Sansa's breathing had also boosted up a notch, though nothing extreme. She remained sleeping, stiller than he had ever seen her. Ishio brushed away Aido's helping hands as he got to his feet, brushing his now sweaty hair out of his eyes, his orbs oddly bright.

"What did you find?" Aido asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Everything worthy of protecting." Ishio told him, making him blink. He went on. "This girl, this Forsaken, has the most powerful mind I have ever embraced myself in. Everything about her is designed for her own survival, but for some reason it's locked away in a part that she can't reach." He spoke breathlessly, almost sounding excited. "If we can help her reach that part of her mind and unleash it, she will quite possibly be one of the most powerful beings on this planet!"

Aido, trying to listen to him, drifted to Sansa's side, slipping an arm beneath her head and the other under her knees. Carefully he lifted her from the bed, her head against his chest as she slept. Her heart slowly the moment he held her, her breathing dropping to a far more calmer state.

"So she can be saved?" he asked, watching Ishio walk to the window with a strange bounce in his step.

"Yes! She's the one who'll save herself, she just needs the right guidance. Once she has her entire mind unlocked, she'll―"

"Destroy us all." came a voice. The two boys turned to the door, and there stood the headmaster with Koemi by his side, their expressions sombre. It was the Vampire Hunter who had spoken, and an odd instinct had Aido turning Sansa away from her in his hold, wanting to shield her from her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Ishio asked, eyes wide.

"It is good to have such powers, but to have them all in one go can be fatal to us and to her. It's too much for her body to obtain. Unlike you lot, she has a human body that can only withstand so much; to unlock those powers all in one go could put her heart into shock." Koemi said, her eyes on Sansa's obscured body in Aido's arms. "And if it doesn't kill her first, that gift of hers could accidentally kill _us_."

"But if she was born with them, then surely they are of some use to her..." the headmaster said, his voice hopeful, clinging to some kind of light in Sansa's young life.

"Why do you think she keeps passing out after an attack on her mind?" Koemi asked. "Or when she fought off the Darkling the other night? Why _do _you think she was knocked out cold the night you found her, after using a smidgen of her power on that vampire who killed her mother?" She received no answer, and her arms folded. "Exactly. Her body can't take it. It's bad enough that she had a bit of her natural sight now, so God help us when she unleashes everything."

"We'll teach her how to withstand it." Aido said, mostly to himself and the sleeping girl in his arms.

"Oh? And how do you suggest we do that, blondie?" Koemi snapped.

"We'll wean her into it! I know how strong she is, and I know she can fight anything once she puts her mind to it." He seethed. "I will _not _let her die without a fight."

"How do you know all that, anyway?" Ishio asked, coming up beside Aido, his hand pressed to Sansa's forehead to feel her temperature. There was no need; Aido could feel the regular heat of her blood just holding her.

"You already know that I have a friend who was a Forsaken." Koemi said. "What I didn't tell you was that when I found her, dead ghastly, she wasn't alone. Her Darkling was there, also dying, and she told me what had happened. She said that my friend had defied her very nature to die and ultimately killed herself and the Darkling anyway." She looked at Sansa again, her eyes hard. "I want her to live as much as you do, but I also want her to be reasonable with her powers. Unlocking them entirely is a bad idea."

"Then what do you suggest?" the headmaster asked.

"Two things; _we_ kill the Darkling before it can get to her." said Koemi, worrying her lower lip. Sansa began to rouse in Aido's hold, moaning groggily. He barely noticed.

"Or?" he demanded, and Koemi's expression turned very grim.

"Or we give her a new body entirely." she said. "Or at least _transform _it and make it stronger for her powers to work with."

"You mean―" Aido said, but was quickly cut off by Sansa herself.

"If you mean to turn me into a damn vampire, then I demand to rot in hell right now." she croaked, lacking the malice in her tone she so clearly wanted. She struggled with Aido, who obediently set her down on her own two feet. She and Koemi locked eyes for a second, everyone else holding their breath.

"Shame," Koemi said mockingly. "It would have been fun to play cat and mouse with you once you fell to Level E. Besides, it was only a suggestion. I presume you've been pretending to sleep in order to eavesdrop?"

"I heard enough to know that my own nature is what will probably kill me." Sansa said. "Which means I'm left with little options. I can't imagine how you'd be able to kill a Darkling now when it's never been done before, there is no way in _hell_ I'm becoming a monster, and now I can't use my own powers. Where does that leave us?"

Aido opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. Where did that leave Sansa?

"Sansa," the headmaster said, walking over to his daughter and grasping her shoulders. "how much do you want to live?"

"Stupid question." she snapped, then sighed. "As much as the next vampire survivor."

"Then I suggest we do trial and error. Test your strength, see how much you can cope with. If you feel confident enough, then we'll go from there, okay?" the headmaster advised, and his daughter nodded after a moment of consideration. Aido inwardly sighed, glad that the girl was yet to fall into the despair than loomed at the edge of her mind.

"I just hope you're ready for an early grave." said Koemi before leaving, and Aido did everything he could to not chase after her and rip her to shreds.

"And I hope you're ready to join me." said Sansa below her breath, and Aido smirked at her. She returned the smirk, her eyes dancing with a new determination.

* * *

**Thoughts? Yay or nay?**


	12. Suspicions

**Chapter 12! Enjoy guys! :D**

* * *

Zero grabbed Sansa forcefully by the arm the following evening. She'd been going into the kitchen to prepare a desert, since Zero had done all the cooking for herself, Yuki and Kaien. Zero followed her, leaving Yuki's idle chatter behind them as they disappeared through the kitchen door. Once there, Sansa held back a shriek of protest as he forced her sleeve up her arm, revealing dark, painful-looking bruises. The skin of her upper arm looked like it had been smothered in charcoal, purple mingling within the dark colour. Looking at it head on made it seem to ache more.

"What's this?" Zero demanded, his eyes suspicious.

"I fell!" she snapped. Of course she was only half lying, since she had no desire for either of them to know she was dallying with vampires in her spare time―she felt self loathing to know it herself. It was from earlier that day, training with the Night Class before Zero or Yuki had even arisen from their beds. She'd fallen repeatedly on her arms, and her back wasn't any better. Zero's eyes zoned in on hers, searching for her lies, angry that she would keep something from him.

"You're lying." he seethed. He pointed to her arm. "A simple fall wouldn't do this much damage. _What happened?_"

_It can when a vampire throws you to the ground, _she thought bitterly. "I fell out of a tree reading a book. I do it all the time! I'm not as graceful as you and Yuki."

_"_Also a lie, since you are the most graceful out of all of us." Zero said, releasing her. Sansa hurriedly pulled her sleeve down, folding the rim over her fingers while she clenched her fist, like she did during the winter months on duty. She repeated the action with her other arm and hid them behind her back stubbornly, craning her neck to look up at Zero.

"What does it matter?" she said furiously, keeping her voice low. "It's not like I'm in agony, is it?"

"No, but if Yuki were to see them, she'd worry about you." he said, and a second later his eyes widened. "A-and the headmaster, too."

"Ah, so you're not worried about _my _wellbeing but for Yuki's." she said thoughtfully, not at all surprised. "Well, there's no need. I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't make it sound like that." he said, his tone holding a hint of defeat. "You're as much my friend as you are hers." Then his eyes darkened a touch, glimpsing Sansa's arm again, and a muscle in his jaw jumped. "If one of the Night Class students did that to you, I swear I'll—"

"Zero," she cut him off gently, touching his arm. "I can take care of myself. Besides, they didn't do anything at all, just me and my clumsiness with a book." She smiled tenderly, though her heart skipped with nerves upon seeing the thick suspicion in his eyes.

"I don't believe you," he said slowly. "but I won't force it out of you. None of my business, right?"

"Zero." she said curtly, knowing he was trying to guilt trip her into spilling the truth. "You and I know that all you want is an excuse to go head on with the Night Class. I'd rather you didn't try and use me as that excuse to achieve it."

It was common knowledge that Zero despised _all _vampires, not just the Level Es. The Day Class girls knew that he hated the Night Class far more than anyone else, though they didn't know why. For four years Zero had hunted for an excuse of revenge. For four years he had stood and watched in loathing as Kaname caressed Yuki's cheek, stealing any chance of Yuki ever noticing him. For his entire life vampires had ruled his thoughts; even as a child, being born into that of a Hunter family, he had grown up hating the beasts who feasted on blood. His natural instincts were to do nothing but slaughter a vampire on sight, noble or not, and yet he was continuously made to deny his nature and protect them. That's why Sansa never felt hurt when he tried to use her as an excuse; vampires took away his family, a vampire was taking a girl he so blatantly loved for himself, and now vampires preyed on his friend of four years. She hardly had room in her to blame him.

_"Don't you hate them?" _Zero had asked a few months upon coming to live among Sansa and Yuki. _"Don't they haunt you in your dreams? Don't you see the blood they have spilt upon your name?"_

_"I see it all the time." _Sansa had told him, sitting with him in the living room, Yuki having been fast asleep on the sofa behind them. Zero had already covered her with a blanket, and sought comfort before the flames of the fire. Sansa had felt the searing heat of the blazing fire, yet had felt most comfortable.

_"How can you stand it? I can forgive Yuki and her infatuation with that Kaname―she doesn't remember anything about her family―but _you?" he'd said, turning to her, the low light and flickering of the fire making his lilac eyes burst with colour. Her eyes danced over the side of his neck, where a healing gash seemed to pulse with the moving light. He'd watched her gaze land there, and automatically his nails went to his, digging into his flesh. She'd snatched his wrist, pulling it away from his neck with a scowl.

_"Don't, you'll open the wound if you're not careful." _she had snapped, then softened her tone.

_"Hardly matters, it's a mark I'll always bear. It makes me sick to know one of those monsters _touched _me." _he'd snarled in disgust, looking into the fire. _"You haven't answered my question. You talk to Kaname with kindness, like he doesn't bother you at all when you know the truth about him." _

_"It does bother me, it bothers me a lot. All I see when I look at him is the beast under his skin, that horrible monster that wants kill and devour humans yet chooses not to." _she'd told him. _"But what makes it tolerable is knowing that Yuki trusts him, and that means we should, too. Besides, if not for him and two other vampires, I'd be dead this time last year, Yuki too." _

_"You make it sound easy." _Zero had muttered, turning to her again while brushing long, silver hair out of his eyes. _"Tolerating them, I mean." _

_"It's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with," _she'd smiled. _"If not for Yuki's endless admiration of them and ridiculous trust, I think I'd have gone mad with a need to kill every last vampire here on this earth. But she adores Kaname, and I will put up with him and the others because I have faith in my sister." _

_"So that's it for you now? Everything Yuki places her trust in is automatically trustworthy to you too?" _He had sounded unconvinced, but Sansa had just grinned at him.

_"Yuki trusts easily, true, and sometimes I have to convince her otherwise. Despite that, though, it's hard not to grow attached to her." _

_"She's annoying." _

_"You say that now―"_

_"I heard that, Zero Kiryu." _Yuki had mumbled behind them, yawning loudly as she sat up on the sofa, rubbing her eyes limply. Zero had scowled at her like any boy scowled at a girl countering them, and Sansa had giggled. The two opposites had bickered a little before Yuki carried herself off to bed, and Sansa had made plans to follow. Though she didn't go without a final word.

_"Be patient, Zero. If I can live in peace among vampires, so can you. Have a little faith in us; we're your family now." _She'd smiled warmly, leaving him among the fire, and since that day Zero had learned to control his hatred for vampires to a satisfactory level, mostly for Yuki's sake. Sansa knew, though, that it was her words which had motivated him into doing the right thing for them all.

And now, as she stood gazing up at him, she saw a flicker of the boy who had once had no faith in her at all, though it didn't hurt. There were times where she lost hope in Kaien because of his decisions, and often reminded herself that he was only doing what he thought would keep his children safe. She reached up and squeezed his shoulder tenderly, and he seemed to deflate beneath her hand.

"Have faith in me, Zero Kiryu." She whispered, mingling past words with the present. His wise eyes twinkled with recognition, and he nodded while she watched the memory flicker behind his eyes.

"Alright." he said softly. "I just hate the thought of you being hurt by them."

"They won't hurt me." she promised. "Nor will they hurt Yuki or you, so long as you don't give them reason to."

"Have you begun to soften towards vampires, Sansa?" he inquired, cocking a brow while folding his arms. She only smirked at his accusation, though her heart ached a little with the small truth to his own words.

Before she could answer, Yuki came zipping into the room, her eyes impatient. "Hey you two! Stop talking and prepare dessert, otherwise I'll do it!"

"You are _not _making desert, Yuki." Zero sighed as he followed the other girl into the depth of the kitchen. "You can't even make chocolate without poisoning anyone."

"_Hey! _My chocolate is to die for, isn't that right, Sansa?" Yuki said, turning to Sansa with a demanding expression. Sansa grinned and slinked past her.

"You got the _die_ part right." she said, and then burst into laughter as Yuki chased her angrily from the kitchen, leaving Zero saying a distant, "I'll do desert then." behind them.

* * *

Later, Zero found himself draping blankets over the two girls whom he was inescapably linked to. They'd fallen asleep, the T.V still on in the foreground. As he folded the blanket around Yuki, whose head lay oddly on Sansa's hip, he lifted the control on the arm of the sofa to turn off the T.V, careful not to disturb Sansa. Finally he tucked her in, too, though the blanket didn't cover her completely. As he stepped back, Sansa stirred a little, folding her arm over her face. Releasing a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, Zero took his leave from the room.

He still worried about Sansa, always the most secretive of the trio. In many ways she was like Yuki, never wanting to share information if it meant hurting him or Yuki. He resented her a little for it, but then again he had no room to hold it against her. It wasn't like _he _was free of dark, bloody secrets. He could still taste the blood he had coughed up earlier that night, violent and forthcoming. He hated himself for being weak, for moaning against the pain, but he refused to see either girl watch him collapse over the sink.

He knew something was off with Sansa. She wasn't reading as often, and there were nights on duty when she would just disappear until the following morning. She may have looked more a little in recent days, but there was an edge to her once indifferent eyes that took in every last detail of her surroundings. Those jade eyes were more like crystal than ever, somehow, like they'd somehow changed overnight. If not for the bruises, she would have looked _healthy. _

Those bruises on her arms were not the only thing he had noticed. When she sat down, she did it slowly and with gritted teeth. He could tell that she was aching; after dropping a teaspoon earlier, she couldn't drop as fluently as she usually did, and her legs had trembled in protest.

He so wanted to believe that the Night Class had something to do with it. The way they watched her like hawks had him on edge, almost as much as when Kaname caressed Yuki's cheek during the changeover. Sometimes he thought that she even smelled like them, carrying that sweet scent of theirs along with something indescribable. Maybe it was just in his head. Like Sansa had said, he tried so hard to find a reason to blame the vampires for something, and it wasn't fair that he was trying to use Sansa for that need. But still...

"Zero," whispered Kaien when Zero made his way to go upstairs in preparation for bed. Zero turned quizzically as his adoptive father approached him, his expression troubled.

"What is it?" Zero asked, frowning. Not often was Kaien puzzled, at least not in front of him or the girls.

"I want you to accompany me in searching the grounds." he said. "I have a bad feeling."

"Why kind of bad feeling?" Zero asked, following Kaien to the door without hesitation. He stole a glimpse into the living room, and the girls remained still, unaware to the change of events.

"Level E bad." Kaien said quietly, and led his adoptive son through the door and outside, Zero closing the door behind him softly. Indeed, outside felt wrong, his natural Hunter blood reacting to bad blood in the air. It felt wrong, the air compressing in on him, the smell of rot hitting his nostrils with a distant tang. His hand disappeared to the inside of his jacket, resting comfortably on the handle of his Bloody Rose. It seemed to vibrate beneath his fingers, stirring with life and readying itself for use. He took comfort in that, and focussed his entire being on this unwanted presence.

The gloom of the grounds hit him with deep anxiety. During the day, the academy was somewhat beautiful to walk through, but by night it was like the scene from a horror movie. The trees seemed to reach for anyone who moved between their trunks, the moon purposely vanishing behind the clouds to obscure its light, and of course there was the threat of thirsty rouge vampires.

A rustle alerted his ears, and he and Kaien instantly stiffened. Yanking out Bloody Rose, Zero stood ready to shoot, his eyes slits as they sought out their target. His arms were steady, his breath slow and even, and his heart pounding with nothing more than excitement.

A figure appeared ahead, dark and tall and lean, a predator emerging from the shadows. Zero set his jaw and made him aim, counting to three in his head. _One... Two..._

"Put that monstrosity away," scoffed a voice easily recognized as Hanabusa Aido. With a noise of frustration Zero lowered his weapon, and his guardian instantly relaxed. "as much as I want there to be, I have no business with you, Kiryu."

"Nor I you, Aido." Zero said calmly, watching as Aido moved from the shadows. He was wearing casual clothing, his blond hair a little wilder than usual. The top button to his shirt lay open, exposing a strong throat. He had his sleeves rolled up, and his trousers were a little scuffed at the hems. Zero raised a brow.

"Don't judge me!" Aido snapped angrily, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I refuse to wearing my best clothes while hunting a Level E."

"I'd say those clothes flatter you." said another voice, and Akatsuki Kain emerged to join his cousin. He too wore casual clothing, a shirt open over that of a tank top, and old jeans scuffed and worn. He smirked at his short companion, who glared furiously back.

"Now is not the time for fashion opinions," Kaien said slowly, and a noise of agreement sounded behind them. Kaname, Ichijo Takuma and Seiren.

"I agree." Kaname said, his gaze shifting to Zero for the briefest of glances. In that moment, Zero felt his blood boil with loathing, and his grip on Bloody Rose significantly tightened. "I sense three Level Es lurking here tonight."

"That's more than I want to imagine." said Kaien irritably. I'll go back and watch over the girls."

"Please do that." Kaname said in agreement. Zero contemplated joining his guardian, watching him leave, but the thick presence of poisoned blood kept him frozen to the spot. He eyed each vampire around him, who watched him in turn, and he sighed and straightened his shoulders.

"A truce, for the sake of Sansa and Yuki." he declared. Kaname smiled, the gesture both warm and cold at the same time.

"That's a good Hunter." he said, and with gritted teeth, the human followed the vampires to embark on their hunt.

* * *

The following morning, after falling asleep watching movies with Yuki, Sansa found that she had slept throughout the entire night. At first she hadn't noticed, waking with a numb hip and aching shoulders due to a night on the sofa. Yuki's head was the explanation for the numbness, using it as a pillow. A blanket had been draped over her, and another awkwardly covering what it could of Sansa. After a few blinks and a well needed yawn, Sansa felt her eyes widen.

"No nightmares." she whispered to herself.

"Hmm?" mumbled Yuki, beginning to rouse and sitting up in a daze, rubbing her eyes clear of grogginess.

"Oh, nothing." Sansa said hurriedly, smiling. It was a genuine smile, too. It had been so long since she'd had a peaceful night's sleep, and a part of her told her that her best friend had something to do with it. Forsaken meant being alone and exposed; perhaps having Yuki with her unintentionally fought off any invasion the Darkling tried to inflict on her. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Maybe she was just holding off for the next attack on her mind, and if so, Sansa couldn't let her guard down.

"We fell asleep?" Yuki said with confusion, looking around the living room. Morning light tumbled in through the window, blinding Sansa to the point she had to cover her eyes. Winter zoned in on them now, and it always brought bright mornings before the dull day that would follow. It was nice, pretty even, though it lasted no time at all. A part of Sansa was glad; winter was a favourite season of hers, because even though it was a season of presumable misery, there was an odd beauty to it that she couldn't help but admire. There was nothing like reading a book in the ledge of a window, a cup of hot chocolate not far away while the snow fell from the heavens just beyond the glass.

"Apparently, yes." Sansa said, brushing her mussed hair out of her face impatiently. She often thought about getting it cut the way Yuki had a few years before, for her friend had had hair almost as long as her own. Problem was, having it short meant going back to a hairstyle she had had as a child, and that meant reviving the past in her own appearance.

"I thought Zero would have woken us." Yuki mused, yawning again. "He normally does."

Sansa didn't answer. Something was wrong, she could feel it. The air was strange, too thick for her to properly consume. She could smell something off, and after a moment Yuki seemed to notice something wrong, too. The two girls looked at one another in question, and without another word left their places on the sofa, Sansa's aches and pains forgotten. Yuki grabbed Artimes from her discarded sheath and Sansa relocated her knives into her waistband, and together they ran from the house.

The first thing that met them was blood on the porch, crimson footprints leading both up and away from the small pool that met them. Further ahead, the footsteps turned to clear drag marks. Sansa absorbed her surroundings, seeing everything in its heightened vision, yet other than the blood nothing seemed out of place. The air, though, told a sinister story as it zoned in of her, and the longer she stood there, the hotter her blood began to simmer. Heartbeat sounding in her ears, she carefully avoided the blood and armed herself, Yuki unleashing Artimes at the same time with a menacing hiss.

A snap sounded from their right, and both heads snapped in that direction. "Show yourself!" Yuki hollered, her tone taking its venomous edge. A cackle sounded, this time from their left, and both girls gasped before shuffling closer together, shoulder to shoulder, back to back.

"Come on!" Sansa coaxed angrily. "Stop toying with us!"

"Pretty girls..." cooed a voice. Sansa swallowed at the same time Yuki whimpered, both desperately trying to locate the owner of the voice. Sansa's heart screamed, racing to the point she found it hard to keep up with it, her blood making her head pulse. So much heat boiled through her, so uncomfortable she began to work a sweat.

The girls moved, stepping a little further away from the house. "Ah, ah, ah... wrong way, girlies..." the voice giggled, clearly mad, and Sansa's body hit lava temperatures, or so it felt like.

"Sansa..." Yuki croaked, fear embedded in her voice.

The voice laughed again, and something inside Sansa snapped in alarm. She spun, facing the house, and Yuki shrieked. Sansa didn't think, only knocked Yuki out of the way with brute force, just as the voice screamed "_MINE!" _from the air above them. She saw the blur of a woman leap from the roof of her house, hurtling towards Sansa with her arms outstretched.

Yuki screamed. Sansa dropped, and before she knew it, the monster had her wrestled to the ground before she could even think to scream herself.

* * *

**About time I did a cliffy ;)**


	13. Blood & Tears

**Thought I'd better not be too mean and update sooner ;) Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

Red eyes. Vivid, swirling crimson, glowing with lust and evil. They were wild, seeking the veins in the throat, desperate and petrifying. Then there were the teeth, those two significant fangs that appeared through the monster's hiss, sharp and glistening and dangerous. But that was nothing compared to the strength of the creature lost in madness. Its power crushed down, threatening to snap fragile bones, keeping its prey pinned to the ground. Its muscles vibrated with excitement and desperation, rippling through its body and into its captive victim.

And Sansa finally screamed upon realising that _she _was the victim.

While the Level E shrieked in its need for her blood, Sansa did everything she could to shake it off. Nothing worked, the vampire's claws slicing into her arms, tearing through the fabric of her top with a loud rip. She howled when she felt the slit of her skin, and the monster's eyes deepened to a blood red once the smell of Sansa's blood hit its nose. Sansa heard the shriek of her name, but she couldn't reply. While the monster tried to lower its head to her throat, Sansa refused to allow it access, thrashing her head from side to side and trying painfully to scrunch up her shoulders.

A clawed, dying skin coated hand stopped her, crushing her throat to the point she couldn't breathe and stars danced before her vision. "Naughty!" the monster hissed angrily. "Just a little taste, that's all I want."

"N-n-_no!" _Sansa cried, clawing at the creature's wrist. It laughed horribly, and then raked its other claws down the length of Sansa stomach, shredding her top like it was nothing more than tracing paper. Sansa's blood sizzled on her skin, making her cry out in panic.

"_Sansa!" _came a screech, and through Sansa blind pain and horror, and then the vampire howled in pain, releasing Sansa momentarily. Refusing to miss a beat, Sansa reared her legs and slammed them into the beast's stomach, launching it into the air and away from her with all the strength she had. Clutching her stomach, Sansa stumbled to her feet, her eyes finding a panting Yuki not far away, Artimes crackling with the anti-vampire power. Ignoring the alarming amount of blood that was seeping through Sansa's fingers, she snatched up her dagger that had fallen from her grasp, and it shined with an anti-vampire energy of its own. She had no time to question it, for she had never seen that before.

"_Bitch!_" snarled the vampire, struggling to its feet, its cheek split open with dark blood staining the rotten skin. It looked very much like a woman, though the madness in its eyes robbed it of any trace of feminism. Wild, dirt brown hair, irises merely red dots among the huge white of the eye, its skin crinkled and grey, its body quivering with insanity. It frightened Sansa to think that perhaps this thing was once a human woman, a mother to children, the wife of a man who wanted to make her happy and protect her. There was nothing human now, though, only the monster that had grown inside her, like a parasite taking control of mind and body.

Its nostrils flared, watching the blood escape the four long, thick claw marks on Sansa's stomach.

"Just a taste," it begged. "a sip, that's all I ask!"

"Over my dead body!" Sansa shouted, fighting back bile at the warmness of her blood, hating the way her top clung to her with its stickiness.

"That can be arranged!" the vampire shot back, and then rushed the two girls. Yuki jumped forward, her face masked with a mixture of fear and determination, and used Artimes to shield both her and Sansa. The Level E landed on it and screamed in pain, the electrical current sizzling her down to the inside of her bones. Just as Yuki used all the strength to hurl it away, Sansa reached up with her dagger and stabbed the monster through the stomach, retching it north to pierce the heart. Blood splattered against her hand as she yanked the blade out again, warm on her skin but chilling her body to ice.

The vampire screamed at the top of its lungs, and Yuki lunged it away in disgust. Sansa crouched, desperately trying to ease off her pain, and Yuki dropped with her, supporting herself with Artimes. The vampire thrashed and howled in front of them, shrieking with all its might for the pain to stop. Finally, with an ear-splitting scream, it burst into nothing, the only thing of its existence being small ash fragments that floating silently to the ground.

At last, Sansa collapsed on her side and curled into a ball, trembling violently while sweat coated her face. Yuki gasped and rolled her only to her back, exposing her stomach and the gashes that violated it. Sansa groaned in protest but sat up on Yuki's request, looking down at her own wounds. They were deep, but not fatal so long as they were treated. With effort, Yuki hauled Sansa to her feet, draping an arm over her shoulders and leading her to the house.

That's when her blood boiled again after a brief calm, and Sansa spun, pulling Yuki with her.

It all happened so quickly. Yuki cried out when a body smashed violently into hers, knocking her away. From behind, an arm coiled around Sansa's middle, another around her throat. Rotten fingers clenched her chin and turned it to the side, exposing her neck. Before Sansa could even register what was happening, she felt a sharp pain in her throat, and then the world around her began to spin.

* * *

Aido had never felt more violated in his life. He came just in time to spot Sansa in the grasp of a male Level E, and the terror and fury he felt was like nothing he had ever experienced. She stood there, grasped tightly against the vampire's front, her eyes wide but not seeing anything. The Level E had its face in her throat, shuddering with pleasure as it drank from her. Sansa, already a bloody mess, began to close her eyes, gasping as the blood drained from her, and Aido raged.

Lunging forward, Yuki also making a run towards the horror unfolding, the Level E yanked its fangs from Sansa's throat and hissed madly at Aido. He threw Sansa away from him and rushed Aido's approaching form, blood dripping from its chin and its red eyes brighter than ever. Aido briefly caught a glimpse of a body halting Yuki, hushing her anguished screams while Aido ploughed into the monster running for him.

The smell of Sansa's blood on his breath was enough for Aido to act without thinking. Rolling until he was the one pinning the vampire down, Aido's eyes bore into his, the only thoughts looping in his head being, _She's not yours to bite! Her blood isn't yours to drink!_

With disgust, he plastered his palm against the beast's snapping face, drawing the ice from his soul up and to his palm. The creature howled, literally freezing to death beneath Aido, and soon he was in a casket of solid ice, its face frozen in eternal agony. Aido moved away, and with a click of his fingers, the casket burst into what look like crystal from a chandelier.

He stood, hearing Yuki weep not far away. When he turned his eyes to her, he saw that she was straining against Zero Kiryu's grasp, arms reaching for something ahead of her.

Feeling sick, Aido turned, and there he saw Seiren kneeling beside a very still Sansa, shifting her into her lap while covering her throat with her palm. Sansa's eyes were closed, her face horribly pale behind splatters of blood. Her shirt was torn, and it looked like she was wearing bloody rags rather than a casual top. Crimson shone from four long marks in her stomach, and Aido could smell nothing but the sweetness that was Sansa.

Seiren looked up at Aido, her usually blank eyes worried. "Her heart is weak." she informed Aido as he hesitantly approached. "She's lost too much blood."

His stomach twisted violently with nausea, and Yuki's cries intensified. "_Do something!" _the girl shrieked desperately, pulling against Zero all the more. The boy cursed lowly, forcing Yuki to her feet and turning her away from the bloody scene before them. His eyes locked with Aido's, fierce with intention.

"Make her live." he snarled over Yuki's sobs. "Save her, or I will make sure you live with her death for the rest of your days!"

Aido crouched beside Seiren, tearing off his sleeve before carefully binding it around Sansa's neck. Seiren whispered gentle words into Sansa's ear, telling her that she was safe, promising that she and the others would help her. Sansa was unresponsive, too still for Aido's liking. Her heart, usually strong and regular, was struggling to keep an assuring beat, slow and struggling.

Aido was vaguely aware of his cousin's arrival, and even faintly registered Lord Kaname's urgent voice further ahead. Ichijo paced from the corner of his eye while Akatsuki stripped from his shirt and wrapped it securely around Sansa's middle, and it was clear that even though Ichijo was worried, his rage at what had happened was stressing him all the more.

"Get her to the infirmary," Lord Kaname ordered. "Akatsuki, search for Rima and Senri and send them into town. Any Level E they find must be killed." With a noise of understanding Akatsuki left, and Lord Kaname turned to Seiren. "Ensure that the Day Class students stay in their dorms today―they aren't to step foot outside of that building, make that clear." Seiren nodded and fled, just as Aido lifted Sansa into his arms, her head heavy against his chest. "Ichijo, accompany Hanabusa to the infirmary and stay there to report on her health. I will be here in the Cross house should you need me."

With that they parted, Ichijo mumbling his anxiety and self loathing for allowing this to happen. Aido ignored this, his eyes locked on Sansa's oddly peaceful face. He lowered his lips to her hair, closing his eyes and he whispered words that he couldn't seem to stop falling from his mouth.

"Stay with me, Sansa. You're safe, so I need you to listen to my voice and stay with me." he whispered. Through the stench of blood and fear and anarchy, beyond the sound of Ichijo's low concern and the breeze around them, Aido listened to Sansa's heart.

He was sure that it began to beat a little stronger.

* * *

"What the hell _happened_?" shrieked Koemi, pacing back and force in front of Sansa's hospital bed, when the girl lay soundly, bandaged and in a coma-like state. After undergoing a blood transfusion, which had taken place immediately thanks to her common blood type (A+), she was apparently going to be just fine, if not traumatized. Ichijo and Aido had waiting outside of her door for just over three hours when Koemi arrived in a rage, storming into the infirmary despite the boys' protests. Having followed her in, Aido had been unable to take his eyes off Sansa in the bed, his heart cramping with guilt and pity.

"We've told you already." Ichijo sighed. "Level Es attacked, they were so focussed on getting to Sansa that they were quicker than we'd anticipated. We killed one and were hunting another throughout the night, and Sansa was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Why did no one wake me?" Koemi howled. "It's my job to protect her, not yours! _I _am the one who Kaien hired to―"

"Shut up before I break your neck." Aido snarled. "Just be grateful we got to her in time."

Koemi turned to him, her eyes blazing. "I bet you just stood there looking pretty!"

"Actually, I'm the one who saved her life." Aido growled. "I did a better job that you ever will. Get your facts right."

"You two shouldn't even be in here! It's unprofessional to have two _vampires _around a girl who nearly died from blood loss!" Koemi pointed to the door, her face twisted with stubbornness and anger, and Aido was sure she expected them to leave. He almost laughed at her idiocy. To make his point clear, he moved to the wall closest to Sansa's head, leaning against it and folding his arms. Ichijo blinked before smiling, moving to join him.

"We're here under orders, Koemi. You don't have the power to demand our leave." Ichijo said calmly. "I think it is you who is here when you're unwanted."

"Sansa would want to wake up to humans, not damn vampires." Koemi snapped, her face flushing. Aido could smell her hatred towards them, thick and unyielding. Aido thrived on it. He hated this girl more than anything at the moment, and the fact that she was trying to get close to Sansa on her own accord nearly enraged him. He glared the hunter down, and the fear in her face was faint but there nonetheless.

"You forget," he said quietly. "who you are actually talking to, Koemi Honda." He saw her swallow heavily, and inwardly smirked in triumph. He opened his mouth to tell her to get out, but a tiny voice stopped him.

"Get... out." Sansa croaked from the bed, her eyes heavy but open nonetheless. She was staring directly at Koemi, her mouth in a thin line, but Koemi misinterpreted her and grinned at the boys.

"See? You're not wanted." she said smugly.

"Not them, _you._" Sansa corrected angrily. "Get. _Out!_"

Koemi's mouth fell open in shock, and Aido smirked at her. "You heard her. Good day to you, Koemi." he said conceitedly. Clearly seething, Koemi stormed from the room and made a point in slamming the door behind her. Once she was gone, Aido hastily moved to Sansa's line of sight at the foot of her bed, and his stomach twisted at the tears pricking her eyes.

"It bit me..." she whimpered. "It bit me! I-I felt it drink from me... I _heard _it drinking..."

Bile rose to the back of his throat and he swallowed it down forcefully. He moved to the side of the bed, dropping slowly to his knees and grasping her hand in both of his. It was so small in his grasp, as fragile as her entire nature, and he felt that if he wasn't careful he'd unintentionally hurt her all the more. He rubbed his thumb over her skin soothingly, his eyes gentle on her grief-stricken ones. Her words roused that monstrous part of him a little, the beast inside him snarling with anger. He forced it back into silence. That part of him had already awoken once today; twice in one day would be dangerous.

"It's gone now, Sansa." Ichijo told her softly, placing a palm on her shoulder. "Aido killed it." Her hand went to her neck, the tears falling down her cheeks heavily. Aido fought the urge to wipe them away with his thumb.

"I've never been bitten before..." she sobbed. "I never thought it would happen, but it did..."

"It won't happen again." Aido told her. "I swear to you I won't let that happen, not again. It shouldn't have _ever _happened."

Something in his eyes caught her attention. She stared at him for a while, tears still falling, her helplessness hard to look at. He found that he couldn't look away from her, his eyes locked with hers while the world around him seemed to dissolve away. He felt the heat of her hand between his, smelled her delicious scent without the burn in his throat, and those eyes held something that he couldn't understand. Not for the first time, everything around him was tainted with Sansa, and he was beginning to grow accustomed to it.

"Your voice." she whispered. "I heard your voice."

"Duh, when my mouth moves, my voice tends to fall from it." he said, though his usually distantly slow heart squeezed a little. "Did you hit your head or something?"

She just stared at him some more. "No, when everything went dark... I thought I'd died, but I heard you..."

He opened his mouth to say something, but then the door opened. Kaien Cross stood there in the doorway, his face plastered with worry. He rushed into the room, Aido automatically releasing Sansa's hand and stepping away to let the headmaster reach her. Ichijo joined him as he moved towards the door, glimpsing the headmaster gather his daughter in his arms. A moment later, Yuki and Zero entered the room, almost shielding Sansa from view.

"I should never have left the house!" Kaien wailed, bowing his head into the mattress of the bed. Sansa, despite everything, smiled and patted his head. "I heard something outside and I thought... God, I could have lost both of you girls!"

"But you didn't," Sansa murmured simply, and her gaze latched onto Aido's. "I'm perfectly fine."

Before he could hear anymore, Ichijo urged Aido to follow him as they left, leaving the family to reunite in peace. He did as he was told, closing the door softly behind him, a mixture of emotions bubbling in his chest. Half he couldn't understand at all, and others, such as self loathing, gnawed away at him to the point it gave him a headache. He briefly shut his eyes tightly, focussing on something to ease his muddled mind, and the memory of Sansa's warm hand seemed to help.

That girl was going to be the death of him.

* * *

**Thoughts? :D**


	14. To Heal

**Chapter 14! Enjoy guys, thanks again for reading and reviewing :D**

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Sansa spent a horrid three weeks in the infirmary, her middle tight in bandages that wouldn't come off for a further few weeks. Kaien had insisted upon it, arguing that she needed to gain her strength back and heal accordingly. It was awfully frustrating, and what made it worse was that she watched other students come and go as they pleased, their complaints never any worse than that of an upset stomach. It was like they were mocking her, rubbing it in that they weren't enclosed in a room was smelt horribly like illness and, sometimes, blood. Days dragged, bodies came and went, and Sansa went mad with boredom.

Yuki and Zero visited every day, Kaien every other day. Koemi never showed her face, thank the heavens, though Sansa knew she was always lurking outside the door, debating with herself whether to make herself known. Sansa prayed she wouldn't; she certainly didn't have the strength to strangle her, no matter how much she wanted to. She didn't need the torture of temptation standing just out of reach. Kaname had even showed up once or twice just before twilight, inquiring on her health with a gentle smile and inquisitive eyes. Yesterday he'd commented of how bored she must have been, and promised to return the following day with a gift to try and clench it.

Now, Sansa sat a novel in her hands, open nearly halfway as she read. She was sitting with her legs crossed, the white sheets of the bed tangled in her limbs. Head bent down, she was able to ignore the students who claimed to be ill, though they were most likely trying to get out of lessons. The story itself was about a girl lost in the woods on a winter's night, and was found by a boy just a few years older than her. The boy took the girl home with him and nursed her to health, promising that he would never let harm come to her. Five years later, the girl turning fifteen and the boy eighteen, the girl embarks on a quest to find out how she got lost in the woods with no memory prior, and eventually begins to fall for the boy who found her to begin with.

Just as the boy was beginning to return the girl's feelings in the woods where he'd found her, the words vanished from Sansa's line of sight. Startled, she looked up, and there to her fury stood Kana, smirking as she held the book from view.

"Do you mind?" Sansa said hatefully.

"Not really." Kana said with a vile grin, flicking through the pages of the book. "_Lost and Found?_ Another one of your cheesy romance books? Really, Sansa, if you read books like these, your expectations for reality will become too high."

"_Bite me_." Sansa snapped, though she instantly regretted her words, her now healed throat throbbing with the bite marks that had once plagued it just weeks before. She could still hear the retched gulps of the monster that had drank from her, draining her to the point she couldn't stand, plunging her into a darkness that she thought she was more dead than alive. She shuddered, and shot a glare at Kana that would have been very much like daggers being pointed in her direction. Luckily, Kana didn't seem to notice.

"So what happened to you? People say that you were attacked by a wild animal. Others say you were clumsy with a knife. A few say you were suicidal. I don't by the first two. What happened, did life become too much for you?" Kana said with indifference, though her smile was more than unnerving. "Has your illness become too much to bear anymore?"

"Why don't you do something true to your nature and make a baby cry, you have the right face for it." Sansa mumbled, oddly unfazed by Kana's accusations. Kana's cheeks blazed momentarily, but she didn't lose her stride.

"I remember you playing with that knife two years ago, alone in the dark while you stared at it like a freak. Were you going to out yourself then, but lost the nerve?"

"Has anyone told you how sick and morbid you are?" Sansa retorted without even blinking. "That knife was given to me as a weapon I use on the academy's behalf. If ever I come to need it to save your neck, I might just reconsider and _miss _whatever it is that kills you_._"

She watched with a pained expression as Kana glared at her before tearing a single page out of her book, slow and deliberate before her eyes. Listening to the tear was like listening to someone being stabbed in the gut repeatedly. Kana smiled sweetly, now waving the free single page in the air like a won prize.

"Oh dear, look at what I've done, how clumsy." she said, tossing both the page and the book on the bed, into Sansa's lap. She turned to take her leave, ignoring Sansa when she spoke up to her. Gritting her teeth, Sansa snatched the novel up and threw it, hitting Kana in the crown of her head with a loud smack. The other girl shrieked, automatically rubbing her head and turning while the book flopped to the ground. Sansa smiled.

"What did I ever do to you?" she asked, folding her arms and ignoring the fire in Kana's eyes. "What made you flip out on me the night we met? What have I done that's so awful you wish me dead? I'm curious."

Kana watched her, continuing to rub her head, and then her eyes darkened dangerously, like a black cloud was casting over her. "You were born."

Without another word she turned to leave, but not without Sansa calling out, "Thanks for the visit, you always make my days seem bright and hopeful!"

The door slammed shut, and Sansa spent the rest of the afternoon trying to finish her book, the page that was ripped out discarded for she had already read the words.

* * *

Sansa woke from a small nap to Kaien sitting on her bed. She was momentarily confused, sitting up and looking at him through the looming shadows that slowly grew darker every few minutes. Her guardian regarded her with a smile, his eyes glittering. Over his lap sat Sansa's biggest dagger, the one she'd used to kill the Level E. She shone despite the dimness, and Sansa looked at Kaien quizzically.

"I wanted to let you know that you can leave now. I have reason to believe you're more or less your usual, hot tempered self." he said with a smile. Sansa smiled back.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." she told him gratefully. He grinned before turning his attention to the knife he held, his expression thoughtful, maybe even proud. Curious, Sansa moved to sit beside him, waiting patiently for him to speak. His fingers glazed over the silver with tenderness, like the weapon could feel his touch.

"I wanted to give you this back," he said. "this is the only one you'll need now."

"Why?" Sansa asked, her memory pricking at something at the same time, trying to pull a something she'd noticed during the attack.

"This is actually an anti-vampire weapon. Never used until the day you killed that Level E. Now that you've awakened its power, I thought I'd better give it back as well as tell you its name."

"It has a name?" Sansa said in astonishment, now remembering the blue shock the dagger had blazed with once she'd armed herself with it, knowing she'd be using it during that battle. She had always thought that her weapons were simple ones, naked of power and were simply them to cause a little damage rather than a lot. Yuki had had Artimes for years, and Zero's Bloody Rose was a gun that screamed its purpose. Sansa had never desired one because she never wanted to believe she'd have to use one. Apparently, though she was actually grateful, Kaien had defied her wishes.

"This is Astrea, named after the Goddess of Purity." his eyes danced. "Seems fitting now, don't you think?"

"I told you I never wanted an anti-vampire weapon." Sansa said, taking the dagger when Kaien offered it to her.

"I know, and I've told you I'll do anything to keep you safe." he told her indifferently. "A small lie never hurt you, in fact it actually saved you."

"Momentarily." Sansa muttered, rubbing her neck. "Thank you, for doing the exact opposite of what I wanted." she said with a small smile, and Kaien wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a comforting shake.

She looked down at the dagger―Astrea―and traced her fingers over the silver edge, smooth and sharp beneath her touch. Had she added a little pressure, it would have torn the flesh of her fingers open. It was odd. Something about holding its hilt, thick and decorated in embedded flame-like patterns, made Sansa feel as if it had been designed for her and her alone. She thought she could feel its dormant power ripple into her palm in reassurance, promising strength and protection. It felt like it was a part of her now, like an extra limb she hadn't known she'd needed until fate forced her to use it.

"It awakened for you." Kaien said softly, watching as her fingers teased over the flames. "After all this time, it came to life to help save yours. Maybe your fate isn't entirely bound to death."

"Maybe, but that doesn't make me feel any less alone. It's me against the forces of destiny, and no amount of weapons, vampires and Vampire Hunters can compete with that amount of unknown." Sansa murmured, tearing her eyes away from Astrea and looking at Kaien. He smiled, pinching her cheek.

"For someone who carries such a burden, you still have that fierce look in your eyes." he told her. "Until that fire vanishes, I will never stop having faith in you."

She smiled gratefully, that rose to her feet. Though she was more or less entirely healed, she was still tender on her body, almost every part of her coated in bruises. She pushed the ache in her limbs to the back of her mind, not wanting to give Kaien a reason to keep her here any longer. She watched as he rose with her, and turned to a small bag which she hadn't noticed he'd brought with him. Inside, he pulled out her Day Class uniform and Disciplinary Committee badge. He winked and handed them to her.

"Better get changed, the girls are extra fiery today for the Night Class." he said, almost smug.

"Why?" Sansa asked, puzzled.

"Halloween is in three weeks, and your know what that means." he said, and laughed at Sansa's resentful groan. The Masked Dance, may the Gods give her strength. It was a dance where everyone arrived to the grand hall for a somewhat ball, all dressed formally wearing masks to obscure identities. Since Kaien didn't believe in Halloween due to the true horrors in the world, he thought he'd make a formal event from it and thus encourage the Day Class to mingle with the Night Class. It was one of three balls they had; Halloween, Christmas and the end of the summer semester.

That meant some insane, somewhat deluded Day Class girls to deal with.

"I swear you hate your children sometimes, headmaster." Sansa mumbled, and he chuckled.

"Think what you like, it will do both classes good." he told her easily. "Now come on! Stop stalling and help Yuki and Zero, they'll need it." With that he left, just as Sansa flopped onto her bed with her face in the pillow, groaning loudly in defeat.

Astrea seemed to buzz on the mattress beside her, like it was actually laughing at her.

* * *

Aido had been looking out for Sansa for three weeks solid, stressed at her absence. He knew she was okay, for Lord Kaname had gone to visit her more than once, yet not having her around every day had him on edge. He tried to be his usual self, flirting with the Day Class as easily as he could manage, keeping up his good-natured personality with Akatsuki and trying his best to infuriate Ruka like he usually would. But Sansa was always niggling away at the back of his mind, worrying him to the point he couldn't sleep properly.

_"Your voice," she whispered. "I heard your voice." _

Those words played on his thoughts repeatedly, her tiny voice as wounded as her body, yet holding a strange admiration he couldn't fathom. Maybe she had been confused, not really thinking or knowing what she was saying. She'd been distraught, beaten as well as bitten all in one morning, which was enough to make even the strongest person hysterical. But her eyes had spoken something else, looked at him with something so unreadable it nearly frustrated him.

Today was like the others before it. He followed his classmates on high alert, his nose pulling various scents from the air in the hopes of locating that specific one. He found now that he was looking for Sansa without even thinking about it, and that frustrated him all the more. He didn't want to feel this devoted to a human, Forsaken or not. Though nowhere near as devoted as he was to Lord Kaname, that tiny attachment that overrode his better judgement annoyed him.

_There, _he thought, inhaling deeply but discretely as the breeze carried Sansa's scent towards him. A small smile coated his lips, which he instantly kicked himself for, frowning furiously. He came to a halt before the huge doors, Akatsuki quietly remarking on Sansa's return, to which he grunted in response. He could hear the girls squealing on the other side, as well as Yuki's cries to calm down, Zero's barked threats, and Sansa herself complaining that her head felt like it would explode, followed by a shout of discipline.

The doors opened, and the screams intensified, blocking out the angered orders of the guardians. Through the ripple of dark uniforms jumping up and down in excitement, faces beyond excited and flushed, Aido sought out Sansa before he could even think about stopping himself.

She stood to his left as he walked, arms outstretched from her sides as she held a mass of girls behind her at bay. Her eyes blazed with fury, her entire body tensed as she strained to push them back at a respectable distance. Her hair had fallen into her eyes during the struggle, her outgrown fringe tangling in her lashes. Cheeks flushed, she actually looked healthy, and not a single mark tainted her skin that he could see, not even a pair of fang marks of her neck. However, due to the trembling of her body, he knew she was still tender, no doubt coated in bruises beneath her clothes.

With a cry she was shoved forward to make way for the girls behind her, her feet giving way beneath her. Her arms instantly went to protect her no doubt still wounded stomach, though they never reached it. Aido found himself darting forward, keeping her upright while her arms unintentionally landed over his shoulders, creating the illusion of an awkward embrace. He usually did this anyway, just to annoy her and enrage his fans, and he refused to admit that this was any different. Green eyes peered up through black strands of hair.

_"No, when everything went dark... I thought I'd died, but I heard you..." _

"Um..." she said awkwardly. "Thanks."

He smirked, releasing her as she stood of her feet. He couldn't help but feel smug at the enraged faces just over her shoulder, over a dozen girls practically flushed while steam blew out their ears. "You look well."

Before she could open her mouth to reply, the girls began to push forward a little, hands reaching out for Aido. Her expression changed to that of enragement, blood flushing her cheeks as she gathered in a haggard breath. Tearing her eyes away from Aido, she forced her body into the girls behind her, who all moaned in heavy disappointment. With a smile Aido moved on.

* * *

Sansa didn't know what was wrong with herself.

Once the Day Class finally headed to their dorms and the Night Class was safely in the main building, she repeatedly cursed herself on her walk back to her own room. Yuki had wanted to join her, Zero too, but she'd insisted on going alone for a little peace of mind. Aido, whom had frustrated her to know end from the moment they met, was beginning to get under her skin.

Something had changed when she'd blacked out three weeks before, her body feeling like it was floating into that of nothing. She had heard her heart very clearly, horribly slow with too many seconds between each beat. What blood had been left in her system struggled to circulate her body, and she'd been certain that she was dead. But then, through the fog of blackness and the horridness of her heart, she'd heard gentle words coaxing her consciousness, so clearly she'd thought they belonged to an angel. _"Stay with me, Sansa. You're safe, so I need you to listen to my voice and stay with me."_

Not until she'd woken up had she realised that those words had come from Aido's mouth, not an angel's. She'd been so confused to learn that, and even more confused to see the concern in his eyes when she'd cried about being bitten. That rare gentleness she had only seen glimpses of was so vivid it had enticed her, drawn out her curiosity from its cave in her head. It wasn't the over the top kindness of Ichijo, or the underlining compassion of Kaname, but just pure tenderness that made him look almost human. No pretence, just something very, very real.

For five years Sansa had known nothing but cruelness being associated with Aido, so this new side of him almost frightened her more than it soothed her.

But _why _was she letting it get to her? After everything she'd been through, why was she letting _him _of all people unnerve her just because of a few words? It was ridiculous! _You know why, _Sansa's somewhat logical side said. _It's because his kindness separated from cruelty is only something you've read in books, the beast who transformed into a man. _

She cursed herself further.

In her room, Koemi nowhere in sight, she tentatively lifted her shirt above her stomach to look in the mirror. The bandages wrapped around her middle were in need of changing, and her bed already had a roll set out for her, no doubt placed there by one of her family members. She thought about calling for assistance from Yuki, though she was most likely already out on petrol. Very carefully, she unwrapped the bandaged, thinning the layers until she was met by sore, bruised flesh, followed by ugly claw marks.

_These will scar, _she thought hatefully. Having been stitched after her transfusion, they bore a horrific mark on her that would probably never vanish. Dropping the old bandages to the floor, she lightly prodded the four wound marks, wondering when the stitches would be removed. A few days, perhaps. The marks were closed up almost completely now, though they were risen ever so slightly, the actual cuts surrounded by red, black and yellow. Her ribs were no better, yellow with healing bruises and tender skin. It was okay now, but when it came to sleeping it was painful.

Keeping her shirt up with one hand, she reached for the roll of white fabric from her bed. Pinning her shirt still with her chin, she began to rewrap herself through mild hisses, her body flinching with slight pain. After a struggle for about five minutes, she was finally able to lower her shirt again and feel a little more comfortable, though the shame in her bubbled to life.

How could she have been so foolish? She'd asked herself that every day since the attack. She should have been prepared for any attack, should have foresaw anything out of the ordinary. Her senses were weak, and that tiny delay on both occasions had nearly landed her in her grave. She tried to reason with herself that at least she'd killed one, only to be backed up with, _Only because Yuki was there. _She couldn't rely on Yuki, nor Zero or even the vampires. She needed to get better, had to focus more.

Or maybe...

She closed her eyes while turning to the window, she began clearing her mind of any distraction and focussed on one thing alone. She inhaled deeply before releasing it in a very slow sigh, relaxing her muscles and pushing away the throbbing of her limbs. She wasn't sure how to go about it at first, and simply focussed entirely on what she wanted.

She strained to listen for the tiniest of sounds, fought to see even through closed eyes, tried to drag in as many smells as possible, willed her hands to feel something that wasn't there. She focussed entirely on every sense, testing whether she could break a small barrier that withheld her from her nature. She dug deep into her own mind, exploring every crook and cranny and seeking anything unfamiliar. She wanted to be attached to her body on a new level, feel the world around her in a new light, and when something in her mind began to flicker with light to her demands, her knees buckled as she groaned to the sharp pain in her head.

The light died again, and she opened her eyes feeling no different at all other than her already heightened sight and an awakening headache.

_"It is good to have such powers, but to have them all in one go can be fatal to us and to her..." _echoed Koemi's voice, and Sansa sighed while she rose to her feet.

Ten minutes later, armed with Astrea and ready for a search for Yuki, Sansa decided that it was best to stick to the life she knew while she was still alive.

_For now_.

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**Review! :D**


	15. Not Alone

**Hey guys sorry it's late, been so busy with work and college as well as looking up universities that I just haven't had time to update! Anyway, here's chapter fifteen, enjoy! :D Thanks again for the support!**

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_A young Sansa, no older than six years old, skipped dreamily through the woods not far from her home. Her green dress rippled with her movements, her short black hair coiled as the breeze teased its strands. Her eyes were bigger than ever, jade orbs taking in every last detail of her surroundings, from the way chunks of slow slipped from a branch to the scurrying of a mouse in the undergrowth. Though it was snowy and freezing, little Sansa could not feel the cold at all; it was as if she was immune to it._

_"Sansa my little dreamer, where are you?" echoed a voice, easily recognized as her mother, Aya Narita. Sansa beamed, shrieking in delight at the sound of her mother's voice. _

_"I'm coming, mommy!" Sansa cried, and sprinted through the many trees in the direction of her mother's voice. The air raked against her face, causing her cheeks to flush with blood, though she never felt the severity of the bitter cold. She only did what any child knew how to do best; ran. She jumped fallen logs, ducked low branches and leapt over deep snow piles until finally she glimpsed her mother standing in a meadow ahead._

_Aya grinned when she saw her daughter racing for her, and dropped to her hunches in order to envelope Sansa's rushing form. The child cried out with unadulterated joy when her mother lifted her into the air, spinning Sansa until the world became a blur around her. _

_Finally Aya pulled Sansa tightly to her body, still holding her off the ground while she kissed Sansa's head fervently. Sansa giggled happily, wrapping her arms tightly around Aya's neck while burying her face in her throat. The sky above the mother and daughter grew darker, and while they stood contently in their embrace, snowflakes began to decorate the scene around them. _

_Over Aya's shoulder, Sansa reached out a hand and caught a snowflake in her palm, individual and perfect all the same. "Mommy, it's so pretty." she whispered. Aya chuckled, the sound warm and comforting as it vibrated from her body and into Sansa's. Still holding her daughter she leaned back to look into her little face, to which Sansa grinned happily back. _

_"Every snowflake is different, did you know that?" she asked Sansa softly. Sansa nodded, watching as flakes clung to Aya's dark hair, resisted the desire to reach forward to try and collect them. "Do you know why?"_

_"Because if they were all the same, then that would be boring!" Sansa quipped, making her mother laugh. _

_"Yes, that's true, but also they are all of separate beauty. All of them are different shapes and sizes, all with different patterns, and yet each one is just as beautiful as the next." Aya smiled, making Sansa's heart warm. "You are a snowflake, my little dreamer. You are so different and beautiful, and I want you to promise me that you will never let anyone take that away from you."_

_Sansa stared at her mother for a long time, before she reached out and pressed her small palm to her mother's cheek. Her skin was bitterly cold against her own. "Okay, mommy."_

_"Good girl," Aya smiled, closing her eyes as she leaned into Sansa's hand. "Remember, no matter how lonely you feel, no matter how different you feel from everyone else, you will never be alone. I'll always be here to watch over you, even if there comes a day that you can't see me." With that Aya pressed her lips to Sansa's cheek, icy on her skin, and then the entire world around them began to disperse into that of a faltering dream._

Sansa opened her eyes, blinking against the leaking sun that carried itself through the glass of her dorm window. She didn't wake to a hammering heart or a splitting headache, only an odd sense of calm that washed through her veins, almost cleaning her. Placing her palm against her eyes to shield them from the sun, she sat up, her vision blurred with sleep and brightness.

"Good morning." said a voice from her left, and with a glare she met Koemi's degrading gaze. The girl was busy dressing herself, slipping into her Day Class jacket, tying the red ribbon once on. She looked at Sansa curiously, her eyes raking over her in question. Sansa felt blood rush to her cheeks in anger; she'd forgotten about Koemi's lodging.

"Have you not understood the constant hints that I don't want you near me?" Sansa said in an underlining snarl.

"Oh, you mean the constant avoiding me and kicking me out of the infirmary? Yes, I am aware of those "hints". You are my responsibility, though, and I refuse to stand down from my duty." Koemi said while slipping her feet into her shoes, bending down to tie the laces.

"What duty? You're so convinced I'm going to die in the end, so why are you even here? Do you just want to watch me fall for your own amusement?" Sansa snapped, rising from her bed, just about noticing that she'd forgotten to change the night before. After spending most of the night by Yuki's side, the girls having joked and exchanged banter to escape more worrying matters, Sansa had returned to her room barely able to stand on her own two feet, never mind get changed for bed.

"Amusement, no. I think a better word is research." said Koemi, checking herself in the mirror, brushing her golden hair with her fingers while her strange eyes rested on Sansa behind her.

"Research? Oh, so I'm nothing more than a little project to you now?" fumed Sansa, clenching her fists at her sides. Why wouldn't this girl just leave her alone? "Is that all I ever was to you, all I am to you, a toy for you to examine? Why can't you just _leave?_"

"My best friend died because of what she was. She killed herself, not even on purpose, and I want to know if there was ever a way I could have saved her. You're the key. How many Forsaken do you think there are in the world? Hundreds, _thousands_? In actuality about twenty are born in a century, and most hardly live to the age of sixteen. So yes, you are my experiment! You are probably the last one I'll ever encounter, and I only came across you by chance." Koemi paused in her rant, her own cheeks red. Her eyes raked Sansa up and down, criticizing every bone that held her upright. Then her eyes darkened. "If I can, I will try and protect you, and save you for that matter. But if you die, that's no loss of mine."

Sansa went still, her own eyes bulging, her blood sizzling with silent rage. "You truly are a bitch." she growled. Koemi smiled.

"You forget that your fate is held by the hands of Death himself. Should you die, everyone else will probably benefit from it. Until I find proof that not all is lost, then I'll hold on to that knowledge with my life." she told her, before changing her expression entirely and flicking a lock of hair behind her shoulder. "Now I'll be off, Kana and I have plans for a coffee in town. See you around, Sansa." And with that she left, shutting the door softly behind her, leaving Sansa in a statue of disbelief.

* * *

After first class, Yuki and Sansa strolled through the grounds engaging in gentle chatter, talking about end of semester exams, the upcoming ball and, regrettably, Sansa's birthday. Sansa was an October baby, marking her slightly older than Yuki and Zero by a few months. Soon to hit eighteen, she wasn't in the mood for celebrations, yet because Yuki knew nothing of her situation, she couldn't object without blatantly lying to her. Sansa had always hated being the oldest, though she never truly knew why. She remembered school to be awful because being the oldest meant people were intimidated, and what with her shockingly attractive features and insightful mind never helped the matter. Then again, children were just mean.

"Yuki, I don't want to celebrate my birthday, what's to celebrate? It's just an age, me getting older." Sansa insisted, silently pleading with Yuki to let it go. Yuki refused to withdraw from the subject, blissfully unaware to Sansa's true dislike to the occasion.

"Don't be silly, Sansa. You'll be eighteen, an official young adult, old enough to properly fend for yourself. Besides, it's a _birthday. _Don't be like Zero, he won't even let me say "happy birthday to him"! Help me out? I just want you to have the best eighteenth you could possibly ask for, the headmaster, too."

"Yes but when I turn eighteen I won't _feel _any different, so what's the point. It's just an excuse to get presents and throw parties."

"Exactly! We never have parties around here. It gets dull! I can make the cake and set up the party decorations and―"

"Hold that thought." Sansa said abruptly, frowning ahead. With a small noise of confusion, Yuki tried to focus her eyes in the same direction as Sansa, and soon enough her expression smoothed with what looked like bewilderment. Sansa looked at her, her curiosity bubbling, and then the two girls made way to what had caught their attention.

Girls stood around a tall looking man, their faces oddly calm compared to the normal screaming and shouting faces that Sansa faced each evening. They looked to be talking to him and offering advice, a couple girls making hand gestures while she spoke quickly, her movements indicating that she was trying to describe someone. The man nodded to the information thrown at him, nodding while his eyes raked the grounds.

The man himself was dark, his hair almost black as well as his eyes. Even from this distance, Sansa's sharp eyes saw that he was well groomed, probably some kind of businessman. His graceful body was embraced in an elegant blue suit, his shirt black with a blue tie tight around his throat. Much older than anyone Sansa had come to set eyes on, most likely in his early fifties, he was still heavenly attractive in a dark, brooding kind of way. Sharp cheekbones, the appearance of a dark stubble, a jaw strong that joined a perfectly shaped and muscular throat.

His almost-black eyes landed on Sansa, just as someone called, "That's her! Sansa Narita Cross!" She felt herself freeze, a cold sheet of air kissing what skin fell exposed; her face, throat and hands. _A vampire, _she thought frightfully as he came towards her, hands in his pockets and his eyes inquisitive. Yuki was also terribly still beside her, her nerves radiating from her body like heat from a radiator.

"Miss Narita, a pleasure it is to finally meet you." said the stranger, the girls behind him shuffling away while muttering in hushed voices to one another.

"And you are...?" Sansa asked rather rudely, her fingers almost numbing with the coldness this vampire spilled into the air.

He smiled pleasantly. "Doni Sato. I would elaborate on my field, but I can see it in your eyes that you know what I am. Perhaps we could have a chat in private?"

"What you are...?" Yuki said a little slowly, blinking. The man, Doni, grinned, flashing those iconic fangs that haunted all of the Cross children. Yuki gasped, her eyes darting around the yard for any eavesdroppers. "What are you doing here? You have no right to―"

"My dear Yuki Cross, I have every right." said Doni softly, no malice to his tone. Yuki blinked, clearly confused by how he knew her name. He just laughed. "I forget how simple you humans are, oblivious to the expansion of our world." He grinned again. "I came at Lord Kaname Kuran's request. My loyalty lies with him, so you can trust me."

Sansa looked at Yuki who glanced back, fear clear in her warm brown eyes. The brunette was about to answer when another voice stole her words.

"She can accompany you, but under myself and Yuki's guard." said Zero, who appeared on Yuki's side. Doni looked at him severely, and though she wasn't entirely sure, Sansa could have sworn she saw him take a sniff in Zero's direction. Quickly the stranger smiled, bowing ever so slightly.

"Of course, Zero Kiryu. It seems only logical, what with the trauma the poor girl had experienced these past few weeks." Doni said kindly, and then began to walk away.

"What do you want with Sansa?" Yuki demanded hotly, stealing Sansa's thoughts.

Doni chuckled softly. "To talk about her experience three weeks ago, that's all." he said simply, though Sansa knew there was more to it. "If you insist on following, please keep a distance between yourselves and us, I wish to talk to Sansa alone on the way to the Moon Dormitories."

Sansa swallowed, looking at her friends nervously. Zero nodded for her to go, and laying every ounce of her trust in him and Yuki, Sansa clung to the knowledge that neither would let anyone lay a hand on her. She took tentative steps after the vampire, who slowed his pace in order for her to catch up at her own time. Once side by side, her fellow guardians a respectful distance behind them, they walked a path rarely used by the Day Class, ensuring privacy. The path was cast in shadows from the looming trees above them, which whispered with the wind and sent shivers down her spine. Finally, Doni spoke up.

"Sansa Narita Cross, the girl who was born to die, the girl who is a Forsaken." he said in an almost musing voice. "How extraordinary. Our association rarely finds your kind in time to act upon their existence, and not many know of our organisation because of such a rarity. It is truly an honour, my lady."

"What association? You know about the Darklings and Forsaken?" Sansa said, a strange anticipation warming her to the bone. Doni looked ahead, a small smirk playing about his mouth, and he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

"Why, the association of POLG, or Protection of the Lost and Gifted. We place our protection and guidance over people like you, the Forsaken. It has been so long since our last client." He sighed, a sad sound. "Your kind are so precious, for you have blood that is too pure to be wasted, almost as valuable as that of a Pureblood. The only problem is that we never find a Forsaken in time; you drop like flies to the fate you are born with."

"So you specialize in what I am?" Sansa asked in a daze, stunned at what she was hearing. She had always thought her 'breed' was nothing but an enigma in life, something that would never truly be understood. A wash of something unexplainable splashed over her, knocking the breath out of her.

"Of course, you and those like you are fascinating, as are the creatures bound to you." he said. "Darklings are poison in this world, worse than my species, but fascinating all the same. Our job is to protect the Forsaken from the beasts that come by nature to collect their souls. I wouldn't look too hopeful, we cannot kill them. The only thing that can destroy the black heart of a Darkling is a Forsaken them self." He sounded sad to admit it, and Sansa's heart sank.

"If that's the case, then what use are you to me?" she said in a defeated tone. Doni smiled tenderly.

"We place you under the protection of POLG and keep the Darkling at bay until you have the power to overpower it." he told her.

"But that's impossible; the powers I apparently have are what will kill me." Sansa said irritably, hating to have to be reminded of such facts. Then, suddenly, her heart pinched with a mixture of anger, fear and loathing, for she knew what he was going to suggest. "I am _not _becoming a vampire."

"Never suggested it, my dear." he said patiently. "Though that is an idea. But no, I think that is a last resort. You see, that is why I'm here. Eight years ago, you survived the attack of a Level E thirsting for your blood, only nine years old, correct?"

"Yes..."

"And no one, not even you, know how that came to be, only that the vampire was found dying beside you." he went on, pointing the events off on his fingers. She confirmed him with another 'yes', frowning. "And you have no idea what happened? No memory of your thoughts, nothing to recall?"

"No, I passed out and I can't remember much from what happened before that. It's all a blur." she explained, watching him intently. His face was smooth, calm, seemingly deep in thought.

"Fascinating. You see, I think you somehow unlocked a power back then, and somehow you were able to withstand it. You hold a kind of will for life, Miss Narita, and from the stories I've heard about you, you have a need to live like no one else." He smiled softly at her, slowing in his pace. "Your love and passion for life is what saved you, I think. That strength is what made you strong enough to stand that overload of energy. I think there is hope for you yet, Miss Narita."

"That's what everyone says, but I am always disappointed in the long run." she muttered, not convinced. They were at the Moon Dorms now, just beyond the gates, and up ahead she could see Kaname waiting in the main doorway for Doni's arrival, no doubt.

"Don't lose hope yet, my dear," said Doni, who placed a hand on her shoulder. Instinctively she shrugged away from it, cringing. He remained unfazed. "Fate is never sealed, only predicted. Things can change."

"How can you possibly know that?" she snapped. "My blood is tainted with a black poison. It's was seals my death no matter what I do. How can you possibly know that it can be changed?"

Doni smiled, glancing towards Kaname's waiting figure before returning his coal-like gaze back to hers. What he said next was nothing to what Sansa thought he might say.

"Because, Sansa Narita, at one time, I suffered the same curse as you." he said slowly, making sure she understood ever word he said. "I was once a Forsaken, many years ago. Destiny works in strange ways, child."

He moved on, and Sansa's mouth hung open, her heart hammering with something indescribable. Head spinning, she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to concentrate on what she had just learned, while at the same time trying to extinguish any kind of hope threatening to crush her vulnerable heart.

She watched in awe as he disappeared into the building, Kaname following him inside while closing the door behind him. She felt Yuki and Zero come to her on either side, their eyes hot on her face, trying to locate any clue to what Sansa had just spoken about with Doni. She remained silent for a long moment, forcing her mind to stop racing with irrational anticipation, for she didn't think she could withstand any more disappointments and battles.

"Sansa?" Yuki said quietly. "What did he say?"

She thought for a moment, thinking deeply. _They can't know the truth of what I am, not yet. _"Just if I was handling the whole Level E thing okay."

"Why come all the way here to ask that?" Zero demanded.

"He didn't. He came to discuss things with Kaname, and dropped the question while he had the opportunity." she told him, and after a moment he sighed in defeat.

"Whatever." he muttered. "Come on, I need a coffee."

The three disappeared towards town minutes later, all the while Sansa's stomach twisting with sick hope.

* * *

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	16. Change

**16 people! You'll like this - a big Aido and Sansa moment ;) ENJOY!**

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Two days passed and Sansa found herself back in the hall of the Moon Dorm, the sun barely up in the sky while frost still beautified the leaves coating the ground. She'd arrived on her own accord, telling herself that she needed for training in order to be ready for the next attack, but a part of her just wanted to see Doni again, her curiosity eating away at her soul hour by hour. She'd come in shivering, and apparently being expected, Ichijo had welcomed her at the doors, smiling as he handed her a steaming cup of tea. She'd taken it gratefully and followed him here. Now, half an hour later, she went through basic combat moves with Ichijo, Ruka and Aido, all the while her eyes flickering to the doors.

She ducked a blurred fist coming towards her cheek, retaliating by ramming her body into Aido's gut. He grunted, breathless, and the two of them toppled to the ground, Sansa letting out a cry when the stitches in her stomach pulled at her flesh painfully. Aido's hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back after using his body for a soft landing, and his face was concerned.

"Sansa?" he said, sitting up when she clambered to her feet, her hands placed lightly on her stomach while she pushed down the pain. She counted to ten and it luckily subsided, just as Ruka came by her side, her hands on her arms as if to steady her.

"I'm fine, it's just that these wounds haven't healed yet." she assured them quietly, enclosed in a circle of three vampires, their gazes on her feeling as cold as they usually did despite their kindness. She couldn't help feeling it; despite her entire life of hating vampires, she felt safe.

"You're also distracted." Aido said lowly, standing before her. He towered over her, his eyes seeming to undress her, seeking all the secrets and pain that blackened her skin. She flushed under his gaze, looking away, thinking back to those silly words she had blurted out to him in the infirmary. She tried to blame it on the painkillers that had flowed through her system as well as the shock of what had happened, but deep down, she knew that she had found comfort in hearing his voice. No, not just his voice, but in the sincere words he murmured to her when he thought she couldn't hear.

"I am not." she muttered, glowering at the floor.

"You are, you keep looking at the doors every ten seconds." he explained, and she wanted to hate him for being so observant.

"You want to see Doni Sato." Ruka said, infuriatingly smug with her correct guess. Her light brown eyes danced with scrutiny, searching for Sansa's deepest thoughts and desires. It wasn't hard to guess. "The Forsaken wants to speak with the un-Forsaken, how naive."

"How is it naive?" Sansa snapped. "I'm only human."

What happened next shocked even Sansa. Ruka cackled on a mocking laugh before sailing her hand towards Sansa's face, and the girl never had time to react. Sansa felt a searing pain in her cheek where Ruka slapped her, forcing her face away. Immediately Sansa's hand went to her suddenly burning cheek, the breath knocked out of her. Tears momentarily blinded her before she forced them away with vigorous blinking.

In the second after Ruka slapped her, Aido stepped between them, a hiss falling from his mouth. Ichijo rushed to her side in the same moment, gently lifting her chin to inspect her cheek. Sansa didn't say a word nor did she flinch when he gently touched her cheek with his fingertips, her eyes too busy glaring at Ruka around Aido's tense body.

"Don't ever call yourself a human," Ruka snapped harshly. "You are no human. With blood as precious as yours, you are far more than any human. I will not allow you to be naive and get yourself killed, not while your under our protection."

"You mean Kaname's protection." Sansa snarled. "You do everything he says, bow to ever word he commands, lust for him so much you'll do anything. My life means little to you, you just don't want to disappoint him."

She watched Ruka's already pale face go even whiter, and not a moment later snatched Astrea from its sheath when Ruka launched for her. Aido yelled out angrily, shoving his cousin forcefully away, and suddenly Sansa was behind both Aido and Ichijo's defensive bodies, just like she had been five years before. A vicious growl rumbled low in Aido's throat, the anger vibrating through his body, his muscles tense beneath his shirt. Ichijo was silent, which was even more frightening, and Ruka stood in utter bewilderment. Sansa clutched Astrea in her palm so tightly her knuckles went white, and all she could feel was the ghost of a hand locked on her throat, while nails raked through the flesh of her abdomen. Her head began to spin, her free hand rising to her throat while she forced away the sudden tingling of her wounded stomach.

"She needs to be taught a lesson!" Ruka snapped. "She can't go round believing she is nothing but a human being! She is so much more than that, yet she is so careless and too trusting―!"

"What she says is true." Ichijo said softly, sending a shiver up Sansa's spine. "You can't rob her of her humanity in order to keep her from getting hurt. Kaname told us to protect her, not to change her into someone she's not."

"You two are soft!" Ruka seethed. "She's gotten under your skin like a parasite! Better yet, you're letting her!"

"I think you should get lost, Ruka." Aido snapped, slowly backing into Sansa's front, forcing her away from Ruka the way he had forced her away from the Level E five years ago. In the same moment Ichijo advanced on Ruka, slowly edging her towards the doors, until finally Ruka shrieked a curse and stormed out, Ichijo close behind.

Aido turned to Sansa, and in the same moment she burst into tears, Astrea clattering to the ground. She cried because of what she was, she cried because of the attack three weeks before, she cried because of Ruka's cruel words.

She cried because she was exhausted.

Silently, Aido pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and allowing her to soak the front of his shirt with tears. Without thinking she clung to him, forgetting what lurked beneath his skin, forgetting the monster that continued to thirst for blood. She clutched the fabric of his shirt in her hands, feeling the muscles of his back flex against her fists. He felt cold, yet his embrace warmed her to her bones. She continued to weep into his chest until she had nothing left to release, eventually sagging against his body.

"Sansa..." he breathed soothingly into her hair, his voice like silk. She inhaled his scent, making her mouth water regrettably. She shuddered, but then forced herself to clear her head, needing to refocus and get a sense of herself. Pulling away, she looked shamefully to the ground, clenching her eyes shut when Aido gently brushed her hair away from her damp cheeks, tucking locks safely behind her ears.

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

"For what? Sansa, you have nothing to apologize for." he told her gently, lifting her face by her chin with his fingers. She didn't respond, silently willing herself to withdraw completely from Aido, not wanting him to see her like this. He sighed. "You don't have to be strong around us, Sansa. What happened to you was traumatic; you almost _died. _That would scare even the strongest of humans."

"Why do you care?" she muttered childishly, sniffling while looking at the ground. Though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was frowning at her.

"Why shouldn't I?" he said lowly.

"Oh, you know, because you've done nothing but be cruel to me up until a few weeks ago. I don't get it. If I burst into tears two months ago, you would have laughed at me. What's changed, _Idol?" _She wanted to sound nasty and regain her old composer, which had been dying off for weeks now. She felt like she'd been stripped of her old personality, replaced by nothing but her vulnerable side that had presumably perished the night her mother died. Even now, though, she couldn't maintain the harshness of her words, her voice cracking towards the last word.

She thought Aido would have said something unkind, or pushed her completely away from his, but instead his fingers glided lightly down the curve of her throat, before glazing over her hair and tugging lightly on the tips at her waist. She wanted to look up to see his expression, but she daren't, for fear he would see weakness in her eyes.

"Nothing around us changed," he said softly. "but you did."

She looked up then, startled, and opened her mouth to ask him what he meant. His eyes were very blue, smouldering with blue fire, and his expression was very hard to read. The moment her lips parted to speak, the doors opened, and in the same second Aido took a retreating step from Sansa.

She felt suddenly very cold and exposed without his closeness.

Furiously wiping her cheeks, she looked towards the doors. Kaname stood there, his hand gripping Ruka's arm tightly enough that the bare skin there went a little red. He wore a dark button down shirt, open to reveal a small area of his chest, and his trousers were pale in contrast. His dark hair was slightly mussed, falling into his eyes, which were pinned on Sansa. Ruka trembled by his side, the silky fabric of her short-sleeved top rippling with her. She had never looked more ashamed in the entire time Sansa had known her.

"Sansa," Kaname said calmly. "Ruka has something to say to you."

"I―forgive me, Sansa. My earlier actions were diabolical. You have no right to forgive me, but―" her voice broke off on a small sob, and Kaname's grip on her evidently tightened.

Sansa gave a very slow nod, almost bowing. "I forgive you, Ruka." she said flatly, and almost instantly Kaname released the frightened vampire. Ruka turned to him, her eyes alight with what looked like a bizarre mix of fright, hope and adoration. It made Sansa feel indirectly violated. When Kaname did not return her gaze, Ruka moved out of the room in shameful silence, and a cruel smugness bubbled to life in Sansa's chest.

"I should punish her more thoroughly, but I doubt you would allow it." Kaname said softly, edging in a ghostly manner into the room. Sansa saw Aido shift quietly away, disappearing into the shadows of the room like he were nothing more than an awaiting servant. His gaze was hot on her face, though, nonetheless.

Sansa slowly shook her head in confusion. "What makes you say that?" she asked. "What you do with your fellow classmates is nothing to do with me."

"Oh, but it is when you are directly involved in an incident." he disagreed, stopping a couple of feet away from her. "You have too soft a heart to order someone's punishment." he added slowly, a hint of a smile touching his lips. "Very much like Yuki."

"Yuki is my best friend, it's no surprise that her habits wear off on me." Sansa said truthfully, returning a small smile.

"Your friendship with Yuki is most admirable. I have reason to believe that, should something ever happen, you would die for her."

Sansa blinked, troubled by such a strong statement, no matter how true it was. Why on earth would he say that out loud? "Um, yes, I suppose I would. She would do the same for me."

"You would never allow it, though."

"No, I wouldn't." She looked at him hard, trying to read his expression and where he was taking this conversation. She found nothing. "My life is not as worthy as hers."

Kaname smiled broadly now, his eyes flashing with a strange light. "I see. I wish you could understand how much it pleases me that Yuki comes before anything in your life, Sansa."

"I wish you would tell me why on earth we are having this conversation." she retorted. Kaname reached out, and softly mussed her already messy hair.

"All in good time, Sansa Narita." he whispered, his eyes soft on hers, full of promise that Sansa couldn't fathom. Abruptly, he looked up, presumably looking at the noble in the room. "Aido, come with me. I want a word with you."

"Yes, Lord Kaname." Aido said hurriedly, striding forth and following his leader out of the room. When Kaname disappeared from the room, Aido paused and looked back at Sansa, his face troubled. She felt very exposed, alone in this vast space, the paintings above her head seemingly watching her. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it and disappeared, leaving her all alone with nothing but the echo of her breathing.

The door clicked shut, and she sank to the floor, holding herself as if to keep from falling apart there and then. She felt the shadows creep up on her, each representing a question and holding horrors.

_Darklings... Forsake... vampires... death... attack... red eyes... fangs... blood... black... darkness... no escape... end._

The doors opened again. "Sansa, we're here to continue your training for the next hour." said Rima, Senri by her side. Numbly she nodded, rose to her feet, and forced herself to get a grip.

* * *

Sansa saw Doni at last when the two vampires allowed her to leave. She was walking towards the main doors of the dormitory when she felt his gaze on her, cold like any other vampire gaze. She turned, spotting him on the first step of the stairs, leaning casually on the banister. He wore more casual attire today, a pair of jeans and a complimentary turtle neck black jumper. His brooding eyes were keen on hers, dark pits that could represent the abyss of his soul. His nostrils flared, smelling her and her emotions, practically undressing her mind and body with just that sense alone.

"I was always told I smelled heavenly, too, though I never understood how or why. If I smelt anything like you as a human, it seems understandable now." He smirked, watching the anger ugly her features.

"I get told I smell delicious everyday by standard vampires, I don't want an ex-Forsaken telling me, too." she snapped irritably. His eyes looked her up and down.

"You'd make a good vampire. Or maybe a ghost. The black hair and pale skin complement each other perfectly, and those eyes are as mesmerizing as any vampires. Why not consider it?"

"Because I am a _human._" she seethed. "I refuse to change myself into that of vermin."

"Harsh words for such a little thing." He smiled. "Especially when you are warming up to said 'vermin', as you put us. I can smell it on you, that barrier between you and them breaking. Also, I can smell that Aido on you as if it were deodorant." He inhaled deeply, his eyes shifting ever so slightly from a near black to a faded red. "It's a surprisingly mouth-watering combination. Tell me, other than a Level E, has a vampire ever bitten you?"

Sansa's heart jumped in her chest, rocketing to that of panic. She reached for the handle of the door, her palms sweaty and her breath laboured. Doni looked at her curiously, stroking his jaw with a thoughtful expression. Finally, as her frightened silence, his smile softened.

"Don't fear me, child, I'm just curious." he told her, and still she remained silent. Odd. She had wanted to confront Doni for two days about their distant connection, so much so she had forgotten what truly lurked in the place of his soul.

A monster.

As if catching her frame of mind, he sighed. "Forgive me. I come off a little strong, I know. I forget that I was very much like you when I was human; vulnerable to everything bad and murderous. I guess my... _animalistic _nature overrides that memory at times." He took a step forward, towards Sansa who instinctively stepped away. "I _am _curious, though. Had anyone here actually bitten you and drank your blood?"

"N-no." she whispered, shaking her head, her hand trembling on the handle and slipping with the moister pouring out of her palm.

"Interesting." he said kindly. "A vampire bit me when I was twenty years old, drank from me until I could barely stand. She was so gentle, savouring every taste from my neck, and I won't deny the ecstasy I was in." He seemed to shiver at his own memory, only unnerving Sansa all the more. Her face flushed with (amazingly) embarrassment, for the memory he was sharing sounded far to intimate for her ears to listen to. It was known that if a vampire drank from a human who willingly allowed it, it was just as good as... well, the activities that took place in the bedroom.

"What happened to her?" she asked despite herself, her voice very small.

"She kept me as a pet for a while, which worked in my favour for she kept me hidden from my Darkling. Then said Darkling killed her, quite brutally if I remember." He frowned at the memory, not noticing how Sansa's eyes grew with a new sense of curiosity.

"You saw your Darkling? How did you get away?"

"Saw? Of course I saw him. And I ran like the damned. Chased me for weeks, always just inches from getting his claws on me, but I was always a little cleverer." He cocked his head at Sansa. "You want to know how he died?" he asked. Sansa nodded. "Kaname's father slaughtered him."

"Enough, Doni." came the voice of no other than Kaname himself, standing on the second floor and looking over the railing at the duo. Sansa was still gawping at Doni, her heart leaping with something she didn't understand. Needing to know more, she ignored Kaname's suddenly appearance, as well as his low, almost chilling tone.

"How? What happened? Did he turn you?" she said hurriedly, nowhere near finished but forced to stop by the threat in Kaname's tone.

"Sansa." he said. "I insist you end this conversation."

"I have a right to know!"

"Doni is under my command, not yours. I suggest you go now; class is soon to start." He sounded calm enough, but the message was clear. _Get out. _She gave one last helpless look at Doni, who merely smirked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Perhaps another time, petal." he told her.

She turned to leave, but she thought she caught a flash of golden hair on the same floor as Kaname. When she turned to look, it was bare. Sighing, feeling heavier now than when she'd arrived earlier that morning, she left without another look back.

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	17. To Feel is to Destroy

**I am so sorry this update is late, I have just been so busy I haven't had the physical time to write more! To make up for it I've written another Aido/Sansa based chapter, just because I know you all want it! **

**Again I am so sorry!**

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_"Kaname's father slaughtered him." _The words swam through Aido's mind like circling hawks, taunting him to no end as he lay restless in his bed. Akatsuki was sound asleep on the bed across from his, unaware of his cousin's reverie. Aido just couldn't shake the bloody scene he envisioned in his mind's eye, a faceless creature at the mercy of Lord Kaname's father. He could picture many ways in which it was killed; broken neck, drank until dry, butchered like a pig, none of which pleasant. What made it worse, though, was the added image of a possibly terribly young Lord Kaname watching on the sidelines, learning how to be just as merciless as his father.

Would he do that for Sansa should the worst happen? There was one thing for certain; Aido knew _he _himself would.

Doni was unnerving to him, making him realise something he had previously not wanted to know. Though he was a vampire, Aido could still smell the faint traces of his human blood, very similar to the scent of Sansa. Here was the odd part, though. When he smelled Sansa, no matter how faint her scent, his mouth watered and his throat practically blazed with thirst. It was said that most vampires felt that sensitive to Forsaken blood, so why did that faint trace on Doni not have the same effect?

He frowned, sitting up and brushing his hair irritably from his eyes. What had he thought when he'd pulled that Level E away from Sansa? _She's not yours to bite! Her blood is not yours to drink! _The rage of those thoughts remained vivid in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more his head began to ache. The way he'd been thinking, the way those words hit home, made him question his entire motive involving Sansa. If her blood was not that Level E's, then whose was it? _His? _Ha! The idea was almost laughable!

Then again, earlier, when his fingers had traced Sansa's delicately shaped throat, he had wanted nothing more than to bend down to her. He wanted to taste the sweetness of her flesh before sinking his fangs through the skin, to drink her blood until he couldn't withstand the pleasure of it. He'd imagined Sansa pulling him closer, urging him on, sighing pleasurably as he drank. But what had surprised him more was not the fact he thought it was her blood he wanted, but a connection with her. He wanted her close, snug against his body like she had been this afternoon, to hold her when she thought she couldn't keep herself up.

He wanted Sansa Narita Cross, all of her, and he wanted her to want him the same way.

"_Dammit." _he hissed to himself. How could he have allowed _this_ to happen? How, through all of the madness of the past two months or so, had he allowed himself to succumb to little green eyed Sansa? What he had told her was true; she _had _changed. She grew stronger and weaker all at the same time, and it had never made her more human. Her kindness was even more gentler than Yuki's. Hidden beneath that thick layer of wit and hot temper, there was a vulnerability that made her somewhat irresistible. It was that inner cry for help that pulled him in, that made him want to protect her more than the others did.

What made everything worse was that because he found himself _caring _for Sansa, he wanted to help her unravel the secrets she longed to unravel.

Starting with Doni and Lord Kaname's history.

"Aido, are you sick?" Akatsuki groaned into his pillow, one eye cracked open and peering directing at Aido's troubled face. Aido gave a start, flushing at being caught looking vulnerable, and then he glared.

"Why?"

"You never have trouble sleeping; the sun takes it out of you. So are you sick or what?" Akatsuki repeated, unfazed by the annoyed tone Aido directed at him.

"I have a lot on my mind." Was all Aido could tell him, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to tell the truth. Akatsuki smirked deviously, a look that spoke more than Aido wished it would. It was at times like this that he hated Akatsuki for knowing him so well. What he said next made him want to loath him.

"It's Sansa, isn't it?" Akatsuki said evenly, sitting up and cocking a brow at his cousin. "You like her."

"Do not."

"You're blushing."

"Shut up!"

Akatsuki laughed and waved away the mild insult. "Easy, Hanabusa, it's no big deal. I've noticed for a while, I was just wondering how long it would take for _you _to notice."

Aido frowned angrily. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I had my suspicions back when she started having her blackouts, but you confirmed my suspicions when she was attacked. I've never seen you look so livid before." Akatsuki smiled, and it was a sort of kind smile, encouraging maybe. "Don't worry, I won't say anything."

"Good, because it's not like anything can happen with her anyway." Aido knew he sounded like a child, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He'd known it for a while, that he could never even consider trying to get close to Sansa. Lord Kaname would punish him for the rest of eternity, and he would be made a mockery among the vampire species. He shuddered at what his own _father_ would think. Fate was cruel in its work.

Akatsuki only smirked. "Lighten up, Hanabusa. Life works in strange ways." Without another word, Akatsuki rolled over and slipped away into his previously disturbed sleep. Aido stared at his head for a long moment, letting his cousin's words sink in. Could he ever get that close to Sansa? He found it hard to believe.

Aido wasn't used to lusting for something and never getting it. He had a feeling that Sansa was going to ruin him, but in the most blissful of ways. With a groan of frustration, he pulled his pillow irritably over his face and willed sleep to ease his troubles.

* * *

Elsewhere, Sansa was also in a somewhat bitter mood. Not only did she have Kaname irritating her and denying her of her wants and needs, she had Kaien rambling on about her damn birthday. She stood in the middle of his office, silently fuming as he sang and danced around his desk that his baby girl was soon to be a young lady. Class had finished half an hour ago, and instead are lazing around with a book in her hands, she was listening to this.

"Party, there must be a party, with cake and presents and music—"

"No presents, no music, but I will happily eat the cake in my room provided that Yuki hasn't baked it." Sansa said blandly. Like with Yuki, she had no plans to celebrate her eighteenth birthday, for the circumstances all seemed too wrong. With a black cloud constantly hanging over her head, she simply didn't have the heart to enjoy herself. She would be quite happy sitting in her room alone with a book eating chocolate cake.

"Sansa!" Kaien whined, his expression hurt. "You only turn eighteen once!"

"You only turn seventeen once but no one makes a big deal out of it." She shrugged, fighting off a smirk as his face fell even more dramatically. "It's just a silly excuse to throw unneeded parties for simply exiting the teenage years. If you ask me, that's depressing; I'll be getting _old._"

"Do you delight in disheartening me?" he said sadly, flopping against his desk with his face against the wood. Sansa cocked her head at him, smiling at him like he was a child robbed of his favourite toy. "All I want is to celebrate your birthday, but you never let me!"

"Well, the Halloween ball is just a few days before my birthday, perhaps you can pretend that can be a celebration? Only nobody knows." she suggested, rolling her eyes when he moaned in distaste.

"But you won't enjoy yourself because, like Zero, you'd rather be on duty than have fun." he mumbled, his voice muffled against his arm.

"I'd say that would make a useful birthday if I'm honest." she chirped happily. Kaien sobbed in response. Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, she spun on her heel to exit the office, looking back over her shoulder to catch Kaien watching her with a bleary vision. It was like looking at a puppy longing for a treat, and she couldn't help but laugh at him. Just as the word please formed his lips, she quickly cut him off with a brisk goodbye and left, the door softening his cry of both irritation and hurt. "Drama queen." she muttered to herself, strolling down the corridor.

She never made it five steps before she was ambushed. A figure moved from the corridor at her left, a body moving to join her in her stride. She nearly shrieked, jumping with the fluid movement of the somewhat intruder. Looking up, she could have smacked her head against a wall.

"Your birthday is coming up?" said Ichijo, his face beaming brightly like it usually did.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, though she couldn't admit that she was angered by his presence, just shocked at his sudden appearance.

"On business for Kaname. I came to speak with the headmaster, and soon after I left you arrived. I chose to linger when I heard mention of your birthday." He winked at her, her light green eyes sparkling. "And nothing is more entertaining than the headmaster overreacting over things."

"So you were eavesdropping." Sansa said, quirking an eyebrow. "Did no one tell you that that's rude?"

"Not if it is essential information." He smiled. "Tell me, do you like chocolates? Or jewellery, all girls like jewellery—"

"Don't even think about it." she snapped, pointing a finger at him. "Just because I spend most mornings in your dorm, doesn't mean we are friendly enough that we buy gifts for one another."

"You're so boring," he sighed, then grinned at her. "Unfortunately for you, your secret birthday isn't so secret anymore. A few days after the dance? Can't be too hard to figure out."

She paused, gaping at him, and when his words began to sink in he barked a laugh, sprinting down the corridor. She cried after him, utterly fuming, cursing him to the depths of hell should he declare her not so favourite day of the year. However, her curses came to little use; once she found herself outside of the building, Ichijo was nowhere to be seen. She lifted her face to the sky, her face a look of _why me? _before she stalked off through the gardens.

_Sansa… Sansa, my darling… _the voice in Sansa's head cooed at her softly, her voice as delicate as that of a mother, as inviting as that of a vampire's. She shuddered, her heart peeking a little, yet she didn't feel afraid. The silence of her bound tormenter had been far more unnerving.

She was sitting on the wall of the Moon Dorm, awaiting twilight and the arrival of her fellow guardians. She'd found nothing useful to do with her afternoon, so decided to enjoy the approaching sunset with a novel in hand, despite the chill of the evening. Goosebumps teased the bare skin of her thighs, the tips of her fingers going ever so slightly numb, and she could even feel her nose reddening. Yet that was nothing to the sudden gust of cold air that she inhaled now, momentarily freezing her lungs, heart and gut. She swallowed the cold down and gently placed the book face down beside of on the wall.

She sighed a little, her breath dancing before her in a cold mist, and she blinked against the faint throbbing developing in her mind. She wasn't sure what possessed her to do it, but she started speaking through her own mind, as if speaking directly to the perpetrator rather than to empty air.

_Good evening, _she thought sadistically, injecting as much venom with her words as her mind would allow it. The voice hissed and then cackled softly.

_That burns, little one…_ came the response, and if Sansa wasn't mistaken, she could hear the edge tainting that malicious tone.

_Oh good, _she snapped. _I'm glad you haven't gotten the wrong impression. _

The voice giggled again, making her skin crawl. _Your hate is most delicious… I've missed it…_

_Where have you been? _She demanded. _No nightmares, no illusion of my brain exploding… did I scare you off or something? _It ached to communicate in this way, her head beginning to throb even more until her vision pulsed, but she was relentless.

_Far from it…_ _that bloodsucker drained too much of your blood… _she sounded sad, perhaps even a little tired. _It drank away our bond to a thin strand… I suppose I ought to thank that blond monster of a friend you have… _mockery tinged her breathy voice, and anger flared in Sansa's chest, hot like boiling water.

_We are _not _bonded._ Sansa growled, glaring at nothing in particular.

She could feel the Darkling smile. _Oh, but we are… your blood is my blood… you are the missing piece to my existence… you are mine…_

_Shut up! I belong to nobody! _

_I wouldn't be so quick to finalise that… _the Darkling chuckled, yet the malice was clearly there. _It is not just me who desires your blood… every one of your vampire friends do, too…_

_They're not my friends._

Her ache was becoming almost exhausting, her vision blurring, the connection taking away all her energy. She forced the need to rest aside, clinging to the buzz of electricity in her head, locking on to that cord that connected her from her own soul to her other half. Despite it all, despite the fear and sheer exhaustion of it, she felt the flutter of her old, curious self deep in her gut, looking on with the intensity during that of piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.

The Darkling laughed at her breathily. _Stupid girl… _she whispered. _I feel it in your little heart… like the parasites that they are, they are imbedding themselves under that delicate coat you call a skin…_

_Wrong._

_Oh? So if I were to kill, say… Blue Eyes, would you not feel sorrow? Would you not feel pain for his death?_

Sansa was too slow in replying. _No._

_You dirty little liar… _she laughed again, only she lacked that malicious humour, only frustration. _Oh… perhaps you haven't realised it yet… that's so delicate, just like you…_

Sansa's skin prickled, a sheen of sweat cooling the lining of hair around her forehead and temples. She felt her eyes go heavy, her body becoming ever so slightly lighter, portraying that calm before your body spasms with the sensation of falling. The only thing was, should Sansa actually pass out, she _would _fall, and possibly break her neck in the process.

She blinked the cloudiness away and looked shamefully down at her book, the spine cracked regretfully.

_My little Forsaken… _the Darkling purred. _For one to have a much clearer sight in the world… you are pityingly blind…_

"Sansa?" called a voice, evidently concerned. She didn't turn. The Darkling cackled like an amused mother watching a toddler stumble, purring with loathing satisfaction.

_Perhaps you should pass out now… should you fall now, you have no hope in dying…_

There was a sharp pain in Sansa's head, brief but intense, and for a split second all she saw was a blinding white light. She cried out, stiffened, and then fell backwards into empty air.

* * *

"Dammit, Sansa," Aido hissed to himself. He caught Sansa effortlessly from the air, her body slack in his arms, her head heavy on his shoulder. Judging by the steadiness of her heart, he assumed that she was out cold, which both relieved and concerned him. He was relieved because she wasn't in pain, but he was concerned because she _had _already suffered. Her skin felt moist and hot even through her clothes, her cheeks deliciously flushed. He felt that familiar burn but forced it aside, and began to turn to take her inside.

Her eyes fluttered open, green latching on to blue.

Aido gave a start. "Sansa! Are you alright? What happened? Did you have that monster in your head again?"

She blinked, looking utterly exhausted, her skin darkening beneath her eyes. She stared at him for a long moment, her gaze blank like she didn't recognise him, and he found that oddly painful. But then he saw her familiar beam of light, that recognition returning to her, and he exhaled silently when she began to squirm.

"I—I was talking to her, to the Darkling—she told me that we are bonded, that my blood was her blood—!" she spoke quickly as if in a panic, struggling in his grasp. Carefully he set her down, grasping her shoulder to make sure she was steady on her feet. She wobbled a little, trembling, and gazed at him with watery eyes.

He stroked her cheek before he could help himself. "You belong to no one, Sansa. Your blood is _yours, _no one else's." he smirked at her. "Regrettably, not even me."

"But she said—"

"She's taunting you, but you can't let her. You're stronger than that." He smiled at her, stroking her arms comfortingly. "You came around quickly enough, that shows you're getting stronger."

What she said next made his breath catch. "She taunted me about killing _you._" The words were spoken in no more than a breathy whisper, tinged with fear. She looked at him, her eyes unreadable.

His mouth opened and closed twice before he spoke. "And that matters to you?" His slow, almost dead heart thudded heavily, an echo in his chest as he waited for her answer. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he didn't seem to care either. Her hand fisted in the white fabric of his sleeve, her fingers digging into his skin. The two were locked in a look of contrasting colours and unknown emotions, the world around them momentarily disappearing, and Aido suddenly became very aware of everything that was Sansa. Her scent, her burning touch, her smouldering eyes, her pink, luscious lips, her healthy, mouth-watering blood—

"It _shouldn't _matter to me." she said softly, loosening her grip on him. He didn't want her to.

"You have a soft heart," he whispered. "No matter how much you try to roughen it." He smiled a small smile. "I told you that you were changing." He wanted to pull her closer, to hold her like he had earlier that morning. Judging by her resistance to move away, she regarded him silently, her fingers still on his arm, her little frame shuddering a little with a rhythmic movements of his hands on her arms.

"I… I don't want anyone to die because of me." she murmured to herself, looking down at her feet. Without a thought he tilted her face up to look at him by her chin.

"Apparently," he said. "you're worth more than you know."

She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by an amused tone further away. "Indeed she is."

Doni. Immediately Aido stepped away from Sansa, startled, yet he found himself not missing her sudden shudder at his lack of closeness. He wanted to smile but bit it back angrily. Glaring at the guest, tall and brooding, he felt his skin prickle at his deep, lustful eyes as he regarded Sansa.

"I suggest you leave, Miss Narita," he told her. "It's almost time for the changeover." Sansa swallowed, blinking away what looked like confusion and maybe even dizziness. Doni grinned. "And maybe a glass of water might help, the Darklings are relentless when taking your energy."

"No one asked for your advisements." Sansa growled, but stalked off nonetheless, awkwardly climbing the wall in which she fell from, her lack of grace almost unnerving. As if an afterthought before leaping down on the other side, she grasped a book from the top of the wall before disappearing.

Aido felt Doni staring at him and flushed. "It's rude to sneak up on people." he said lamely.

Doni chuckled. "I'd be careful, Hanabusa." he said, his voice silky, almost smug. "Falling for a human is one thing, but falling for a Forsaken is something else entirely." His eyes glinted. "She'll break your heart without even meaning to."

"Sansa is not where my desires lie." Aido muttered irritably, looking away.

"What are you, twelve? Don't deny what is so painfully obvious. There's no rule against it, but I'm warning your now; getting close to a Forsaken will only get you hurt, both emotionally and physically. Before you devote yourself to her, make sure she is worth your every effort."

Aido looked at him hard, and the strength of his words surprised even him. "She is worth it, although I'm beginning to think that _you _weren't."

Doni only grinned. "I couldn't agree with you more."

* * *

**You know what to do!**


	18. Dust and Secrets

**Thanks so much for reviewing, it means a lot! This is a long chapter guys, and I hope you enjoy it :)**

* * *

_In the dream, Sansa found herself drifting through dark, familiar halls. She saw only in black and white, the images before her shadowed from clarity, yet her expert eyes saw everything, from the wallpaper peeling away to the uneven flooring beneath her feet. She could smell the memories, strong but stale with the horrors that had unfolded here. The echoes of long gone voices drifted around her in a chilling mist, from the laughter of a little girl to the screaming of a desperate mother. _

_Sansa moved silently into that of her old kitchen, where her mother had stood at the stove countless times making pancakes. She could picture it now, gazing up at the back of Aya over the stove, her hair falling in ringlets to the small of her back. She could almost taste the moment when she would sprinkle honey over the pancakes before turning, beaming at her waiting daughter. _

_She didn't see that now. _

_The stove was covered in dust, the doors flung open, one hanging loose from its hinges. The black and white tiled walled looked to be stained, possibly with blood. The dining table was overturned, two out of four legs snapped violently. A chair had been flung across the kitchen, lying in a fractured mess near the door where Sansa loomed. _

_She moved on, drifting towards the hall. Photos hung crookedly on the aging walls, from an image of her parents together to a photo of Sansa herself, no older than three years old. The stairs were uneven, the wood in one cracked and dangerous beneath her feet. Sansa didn't make a sound as she moved, not even the slightest footstep. It occurred to her that the floor should be creaking as she walked, and for a moment she wondered if she was dead. _

_Upstairs, the carpet in the hall was ruffled, as if someone had scuffed it in a haste to run. There were three doors; one to Sansa's left a little down, one straight ahead (the bathroom), and one down the hall to her right. She was cold and frightened. The door to the right had four gashes raking from the top to the bottom, and the handle itself dangled that of a head on a broken neck. Blood blackened the floor before the door. _

_Sansa turned left, towards the room she knew all too well. The words that were sprawled across it in delicate blue writing made her heart ache, but she continued nonetheless; THE WORLD IS FULL OF DREAMS. With a small, pale hand, Sansa pushed open the door very slowly, and it opened with a long, drawling creak. Light flooded into the room, revealing its contents; a single bed with flower coated sheets, a desk where a children's novel sat, the window overlooking the small park overhead, and even the closet coated in paintings of fairies and butterflies. It was all so very familiar, almost warming her to the bone, but there was a sound coming from the room that shouldn't have been there. _

_Sobbing. _

_Sansa stepped inside, confusion coating her expression, and what she found almost made her cry out. In the corner near the window was a little girl no older than seven years old, her hair a fiery red against the black and white of the scenery. The sobs escaping her were retched, and Sansa thought for a second that she was going to vomit. She was so small, her legs pulled to her chest desperately as her body trembled violently, her wails loud and a cry for help. _

_Sansa stepped closer, and suddenly the floor creaked beneath her. The girl snapped her head up, eyes wide, and Sansa almost shouted out in astonishment. _

_"_Kana?!" _she shrieked, and Kana began to wail even louder. Sansa made a run for the girl, but the screaming became so loud that the dream shattered around her, like glass smashed by a rock. She fell through the floor of the room, falling so fast that her heart jumped into her mouth, and the screaming followed her in her wake._

* * *

"Good God, you'll wake the entire academy!" Koemi snapped viciously, and Sansa was acutely aware that her cheek was stinging. She looked up, blinking, her eyes focusing on Koemi's raised hand above her, her palm red. Sansa was quick to realise that the Vampire Hunter was straddling her, one hand pinning her shoulder to the mattress while the other was poised to slap her again. Through the haze of dizziness and confusion, Sansa found her voice, and wasn't surprised to find that it was as bitter as the taste in her mouth.

"Get off me," she hissed, gritting her teeth before adding, "and if you slap me again I will break your neck."

Koemi only laughed, but climbed off her all the same. She was dressed in a flimsy white gown; a pathetic excuse of nightwear for it barely covered her thighs. Her blonde hair was a tangle of knots and lashing strands, the gold of her eyes glowing in the dimness. Sansa sat up, pushing back her damp hair from her eyes, and found that she was graced with a cold sweat. She shivered, pulling her knees to her chest and holding them there as she stared ahead.

"The Darkling?" Koemi asked quietly, settling down in her own bed.

Sansa shook her head. "No," she murmured. "something else but equally horrible."

Koemi made a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat. "Probably an implant from the Darkling, a way of getting to you indirectly by projecting your worst nightmare."

"It didn't _feel _like a nightmare." Sansa said, shivering. "It felt more like a lost memory, like I've seen it before."

"That's called déjà vu, dearie." Koemi snickered. The other girl rolled over on her mattress, away from Sansa, her golden hair a tangle of coils against the white pillow. "You're no different than any other human being on that front."

_No, _Sansa thought furiously, _that dream was something else. _She didn't lie down. She couldn't. Her head throbbed with the dream draining from her system, the images fading, yet the picture of Kana's tear-streaked face remained vivid in her mind's eye. Why, of all the people, was _Kana _invading Sansa's dreams? There was something wrong with that knowledge; Sansa knew it in her gut.

She thought of the rooms she had once associated with home, fresh in her memory after years of them being nothing but faded paint. She had never gone back after Kaien had found her and saved her, and she never thought she would go back. It was plausible that people lived there now, going about their daily lives and blissfully living without the facts of what had happened eight years before. The thought made her feel sick.

Kicking away her covers, she shifted not too soundlessly from the room, earning a grown of frustration from Koemi's location. "Where are you going, Green Eyes?"

"Green Eyes?" Sansa inquired with the rise of her brow, lingering by the now open door.

"That's the only thing I can see; they're practically glowing." the other girl mumbled. Sansa blinked. "They're just so damn vivid. You know what, I don't care where you go. Let me _sleep._"

Sansa obliged happily, but slammed the door in her wake.

Down the dim hall, she came to a stop at Yuki's dorm room, knocking none too softly on the wood. It took a couple of minutes before she heard Yuki's padding footsteps, and not a moment later the door creaked open. Yuki peeked through, blinking away sleep while at the same time rubbing her eyes. She looked exhausted and maybe even a little annoyed.

"Sansa?" she whispered in confusion. "W-what time is it? Is everything okay?"

A small voice sounded behind Sansa's adoptive sister. "What's going on, Yuki?"

"Um, it's just my sister…" Yuki informed her roommate. Awkwardly the small brunette edged out of the room and softly closed the door behind her. She was wearing a little night gown, just skimming past her knees. Sansa could see the goose bumps rising on Yuki's skin, and in the same moment Yuki shivered and hugged herself. She looked at Sansa quizzically.

"What's the matter?"

"I want you to come out with me." Sansa said. "Out into town. There's something I have to do."

"What? But Sansa, it's barley daylight. Where on earth would you want to go at this time in the morning? I bet it's zoning in on five o'clock!"

Sansa pleaded with her silently, shuffling awkwardly on her feet. "Please, Yuki." she whispered. Yuki regarded her quietly, folding her arms as she considered her response. Something in Sansa's face seemed to persuade her, for she let out a resigned sigh and shook her head in defeat.

"Fine. Where are we going?"

Sansa didn't answer. Instead she grabbed Yuki's hand and hauled her behind her as she strode down the hall.

Not half an hour later, the two girls were dressed in dark clothes taken from their rooms in the Kaien's living space. Sansa felt snug in a black sweater, dark skinny jeans and black pumps, her hair pulled up into a messy bun. Yuki wore a simple black top with a grey gilet, along with a pair of dark jeans and snug flats. Carefully, the two snuck to the main gates of the academy, Yuki's wrist clasped in Sansa's hand. They effortlessly climbed the wall and jumped down on the other side as elegantly as cats.

"So this dream," Yuki was saying in a hushed voice. "wasn't really a dream? You think it was a memory?"

"I don't know, but there was something not right about it. Everything was too… _detailed._" said Sansa, pulling Yuki along as the jogged down the mountain of steps towards town. Yuki was right; it was just before 5a.m., the sky a light blue while the sun fought its way up to the heavens. The air was thick and chilly, frost settled on the leaves of trees and strands of grass.

"Maybe it was a mix of a memory and that of imaginary." Yuki told her, looking around anxiously. "Sansa, if we get caught, we'll be in for so much trouble."

"I have a right to know what's become of my home." Sansa said.

"Just because of a _dream? _Sansa, that isn't solid enough to go sneaking out of the grounds for!" Yuki pulled, suddenly tensing as she looked back towards the gates, which looked to be miles off now. "Maybe we should go back—"

"Yuki," Sansa said sternly, though not harshly. Yuki looked at her hopelessly, her eyes wide and swimming with questions. "I know this sounds weird and not good enough, but I need you to trust me." she spoke so softly she thought that Yuki hadn't heard her. The other girl stared, blank faced for a moment.

"Sansa, something's happening to you, I don't know what but you're changing. It's… frightening. I know you're hiding something, I just wish you'd trust _me _enough to tell me."

Sansa blinked, and for a moment nothing to say. Then she sighed, deciding that as much as she was hurting Yuki by keeping the truth from her, she would only hurt more should she understand exactly what was going on. She wasn't strong enough to withstand that weight, at least not yet, anyway.

"I'm sorry, Yuki, but it's best that you don't know for now." she said quietly, pausing in her movements to look gravely at her sister. Yuki looked suddenly very small, even though she was an inch or so taller than Sansa herself. Something about her seemed to shrink, the light in her eyes dying and her eyes looking a deathly black in the low light. Sansa hated doing this to her, and to Zero. They were her best friends, her siblings, and all she was doing was lying to them. "I _will _tell you, though, someday." she added just as quietly.

Apparently, that was what Yuki wanted to hear, no matter how small the promise was. She smiled a little. "All right, I'm just worried about you."

Sansa moved along, pulling Yuki after her, and she didn't say another word, for the lump of guilt in her throat prevented her.

* * *

Sansa felt the air around her change almost instantly when they turned down a street, empty of life and a mix of blue and black. The trees on the grass patches towered over them like looming soldiers on either side, creating a natural archway as they timidly crept down the road. Somewhere above a crow cawed irritably at them, and it sounded deafening against the silence. The houses stood still, devoid of life, no lights on to indicate residents behind the doors.

Sansa's stomach knotted with fluttering nerves, her feet taking her to her destination now rather than her memories. She remembered this place so clearly it was like walking through the past. She remembered running down the road chasing a snow white cat, or climbing a tree in order to look curiously as a nest of eggs―maybe that crow remembered her, hence why it was cawing angrily in their direction. She could also pick out the distinct scents around here; the crisp cold that clung to the trees, the smell of car fumes, the tarmac of the road after a skidding wheel.

She kept Yuki close to her side, warm and reassuring. She didn't seem to mind, holding on to Sansa's arm with a similar urgency. Perhaps it was the cold that made her do that, but was Sansa it was the wave of lost memories that had her visibly uneasy.

At last, Sansa came to a stop and swallow heavily.

The house stood as she had remembered it, the walls white and the window frames black. The door was shut, the once broken glass of the windows seemingly repaired. She saw the window of her old bedroom on the second floor to the right, a square a little smaller than the rest. To her surprise, she recognised the curtains from her childhood, white and coated in red swirls.

"It's for sale." said Yuki. She was right. Near the house, under attack from overgrown shrubs was a sign standing tall, declaring the house on sale. The sign itself looked worn, dirty with the waste of birds and some of it withering away with time, a little of the writing hard to read. It gave the impression that it had been there for a very long time.

"I guess no one bought it after its... history." Sansa said, her voice small on the last word. Yuki looked at her pityingly, and Sansa suddenly found herself envying her selfishly. Yuki was lucky; she didn't remember how she had gotten to be where she was now. She didn't remember her parents or their deaths, nor did she remember anything before that. All she remembered was the heroicness of Kaname, though even that didn't seem all too appealing. Having your first memory being that of one monster killing another couldn't do any good for your dreams, yet it was better than the memories Sansa carried with her day to day.

Sansa moved forward, walking hesitantly towards the steps that led to the door. The door itself looked rotten and uncared for, green mould eating away at the wood and the handle looking like it was made entirely out of rust. She swallowed again, teasing the once gold handle with her fingertips, Yuki hovering awkwardly at her shoulder. She knew the door would be locked, and that she would probably never be able to get inside without breaking a window―

She twisted the knob, and to her surprise the door swung open.

A wave of consuming emptiness hit her like a slap as the hall illuminated before her, the shadows withdrawing from the floor, up the stairs and a little way away from the landing above. An eerie chill hit the girls like greeting ghosts, and both shivered in unison.

"I'm sure this is breaking and entering." Yuki whispered nervously.

"Not if the door is open _and _no one lives here." Sansa responded. "Let's go." She sounded a lot more confident than she felt and she was glad for it. Holding her breath while her stomach fluttered with nausea, she gingerly stepped into the entryway, Yuki close behind. Carefully Sansa closed the door behind them and pulled out a torch from the waistline of her jeans. The torch was more for Yuki's sake, for Sansa's vision was clear even in the darkness, her eyes focussing beyond the shadows like the gaze of a praying feline. Standing in the hall with nothing but the light of approaching dusk—which was little light at all—Sansa switched on the torch and shone it around them.

The first thing that came to mind was _empty. _The walls stood bare, the photos that once hung from hooks now gone. The only visible evidence of their existence was the holes in the walls where the nails had once been embedded. The carpet in the hall had been ripped away, revealing a crooked, dusty wooden floor, and to Sansa's astonishment and horror, a patch of wood near the door was stained black. She shuddered, for that was the place where her mother had lay the very last time she'd seen her, dead in a pool of her own blood. Yuki saw it, too, and judging by the look on Sansa's face, she made the connection and looked elsewhere hurriedly.

The kitchen was stripped of its fittings aside from the table counters that had been attached to the wall. The dining table was gone, as was the many photos that had decorated the walls around it. The only evidence of a life here was the black stain on the ceiling above where the stove had once been, as well as little drawings on the wall where Sansa herself had doodled while waiting for her dinner. Even on the doorframe she saw the lines that had indicated her height as the years went by, stopping just below her shoulder. She looked to the black stain on the ceiling, and just as the memory drew a smile on her lips, Yuki spoke up.

"What happened there?" she asked, also looking at the black stain.

"My dad used to be an awful cook." Sansa told her. "Well, not awful; the things he made were edible enough. But sometimes he got carried away with showing off, and even making pancakes turned into a battle against fire. Mom used to get furious with him, while I'd never stop laughing at him." She smiled to herself as she recounted the memory, and then hastily shook it away.

The girls climbed the rickety stairs in silence. After a quick glance in the living room, which Sansa had barely been able to withstand because of its emptiness, she decided to ascend to where the true horrors of eight years ago had taken place. The carpet above, like downstairs, had also been stripped away, and the layer of dust was so thick it was like a thin sheet of fallen snow. It seemed colder up here, too, and instantly Sansa's heart leapt to her throat when she looked to the right.

"Oh..." Yuki breathed. The door was still there, the exact image of what had been in Sansa's dream, from the four thick claw marks to the hanging doorknob. Not feeling brave, Sansa mimicked what she had done in her sleep and turned towards her own room, the only difference being that the door was completely closed. The writing on the door was faded, but still clear. Yuki read it out loud and made a thoughtful noise.

"The world is full of dreams," she said. "but not all of them are good."

"That's what my mother used to tell me." Sansa said with a reluctant smile, standing in front of the door nervously. Yuki reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"Do you know what you're looking for?" she asked.

Sansa shrugged. "No. Everything seems to have been taken away. I thought that maybe..." she trailed off, feeling silly as the light of the torch trembled over the handle.

"Maybe we can find something, like a photo that had been left behind." Yuki suggested.

"I want to know if there's a reason why Kana was in my dream. I don't think a long lost photo will help."

"Maybe not, but at least you'd get something back that you'd lost long ago." She grinned softly. "Like a missing piece to the puzzle of your life."

Sansa smiled at that, and without a word opened the door. A part of her half expected to find Kana in there, curled in the corner and weeping, but what awaited Sansa was somehow worse. Her bed, closet, drawers, little drawing desk and all of her toys were gone. Her old drawings still coated her walls, a mixture of flowers, butterflies and animals, but aside from that and her old curtains, that was all there was to express her existence. She felt her heart sink, yet the images that formed in her head made her want to throw up. She looked straight ahead where her bed had once sat, and she could only conjure up the image of a man holding her small body, taunting her as he lowered his lips to her throat. She closed her eyes and looked away.

"I'm sorry, Sansa." Yuki murmured, touching her sister's arm.

"So after it happened, after Kaien found me, people just got rid of _everything?_" Sansa said.

"Everything thinks you're missing." Yuki told her. "Most people who knew you think you're dead. Kaname made sure of it, embedding the idea in the minds of the police when Kaien took you in. It was the only way to keep you safe, you know that, so I guess everyone just thought it was better to make everything disappear the same way you did."

"That's almost heartless." Sansa said miserably.

"People usually are. When they live without seeing what we have, they don't care about anything other than themselves. I guess you just became a distance memory to them once you vanished, like a ghost, and saw no reason to keep your memory alive."

"There has to be something." Sansa said determinedly, and then spun on her heel. Despite the chill prickling her skin she made her way towards her mother's old bedroom, the door slightly ajar as if beckoning her over. Yuki followed with stumbling footsteps, momentarily disorientated by Sansa's abrupt turn. Sansa forced herself not to hesitate and swung open the damaged door, letting it squeak as it flung open.

Empty.

It was just a square room with nothing in it, just a layer of dust and peeling wallpaper. There was a line where the headboard of the double bed had once rested against, but other than that there was nothing. No round carpet at the foot of a bed, no closets of drawers, no dressing table, not even any curtains. Sansa felt herself sag against the doorframe, closing her eyes to force away her sheer disappointment. She had honestly thought that she'd dreamt that dream for a reason, that her mind had brought her back here for something, and the knowledge that there was nothing to find was almost overwhelming. It pained her to know that in reality, no matter how strongly her heart beat and how determined she was to live, Sansa Narita had died eight years ago. She truly was no other than Sansa Narita _Cross_, and the idea of her true identity being dead actually pained her fiercely.

"Wait a minute, what's that?" Yuki said just as Sansa began to spin away. Sansa frowned, following Yuki's pointing finger towards the floor, and then Sansa saw it. It was where the rug had once lain, and though the dust momentarily hid it, Sansa's expert eyes began to focus determinedly. She saw the outline of a door, a square no bigger than an average moving box, and Yuki began to sweep her hands around it, disturbing the filthy floor. Digging her nails between the lining of the fixed wood and the door, Yuki yanked it open after a brief struggle.

A wave of dirt rose with the rising of the door and the girls coughed, swatting it away. Sansa leaned forward, her eyes watering slight as she peered into the floor, Yuki looking down opposite her. Sansa felt her eyes widen in astonishment, and reached down with quivering fingers.

What she pulled out was a wooden box slightly big than that of a box of pet ashes, dark and heavy like oak in her hands. She blew over the top, the dust circling the air before her, and there was a golden label in the centre of the lid. _ASK. _

"Ask?" Yuki murmured, saying the actual word.

Sansa shook her head. "I think it's some kind of initial." She brushed her fingers over the label, cold to the touch.

"Are you going to open it?" Yuki said. Sansa felt around the rim of the lid, frowning, and then found the lock to the box. Her heart fluttered with disappointment.

"It's locked." she said. There was no sign of a key in the hidden compartment, either. She sighed and then rose to her feet, Yuki rising with her. Her face was that of small concern but also curiosity as her eyes roamed over the box. It was like them moments when you saw a tin of biscuits in a room, and for a moment believe it to be full of it's suspected content, only to find it is filled with supplies such as pens. Yuki's eyes looked expectant, yet Sansa wasn't sure what she'd find in the box once she'd figured out how to open it.

Sansa glanced at the horribly bare window and shivered. "The sun's coming up, let's get out of here." She hugged the box close to her body, her grip on it almost painful yet she didn't care. This could mean nothing to her, yet it could be the only thing left if the world that actually belonged to her before her life was rewritten.

She had no intention in ever letting it go.

* * *

Sansa tossed the box up to Yuki before she climbed the wall to the main gates of the academy. She rose swiftly, her movements expertise, like she had done it a million times before. In truth she had done it more times than she was proud to admit. Settling next to Yuki, she reclaimed the box a little too hastily, though Yuki barely seemed to notice. The girls dropped to the ground like graceful cats, the items within the box rattling with the landing.

Sansa looked up, and froze.

Aido stood there to greet them, his arms folded over his chest as he glared at the two girls. Beside him was Kaname, his face black yet the fury in his eyes was unmistakable, directed intently at Sansa. Her heart skipped with nerves, her arms tightening around the box like it was some kind of lifeline. Yuki made a noise of fear and shame.

"K-Kaname... Aido... what are you...?"

"Waiting for you to return safely." Kaname said harshly, cutting Yuki off. "We almost went out in search for you both. What were you thinking, running off like that?"

"We―I―" Yuki stuttered, fear tainting her small voice, and Sansa felt a gust of guilt sweep over her.

"The headmaster will be furious." Aido growled, though his angry eyes were fixed on Sansa, too.

"It wasn't Yuki's fault." Sansa said quietly. "I made her come with me."

"And _where, _exactly, did you _go?_" Aido said, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. Sansa didn't miss the slight step Yuki made, positioning herself ever so slightly between Sansa and Aido. Sansa almost smiled.

"Home." she said calmly, and she saw a blink of surprise coat Aido's face. Kaname stayed silent, watching Yuki in scrutiny, his jaw set and his eyes a blaze of a mix of emotions―anger, hurt, and relief. At last, he turned his gaze to Sansa.

"What's in the box?" he asked, though he didn't look at it.

"I don't know." Sansa said. "I found it under the floorboards of my mother's room. It's locked."

"I suggest you hand it over." Kaname proposed, his arms extending slightly. Sansa's blood boiled with nothing but anger, and she immediately held the box behind her back.

"No, it's _mine_." she growled.

"Sansa, it could be dangerous." Aido said, though his tone was softer now, his eyes keen on her face.

"I don't care, it's mine and neither of you are having it." Sansa snapped. Yuki glanced at her worriedly, but Sansa didn't waver her gaze from Kaname's, who looked dangerously blank. "You are keeping things from me, so this only seems fair."

For a second Kaname said nothing at all. Then, to Sansa's surprise as well as Yuki's, he broke out into a small smile. "Very well, have it your way. Yuki, come with me, I'd like a word with you. Aido, do take Sansa back to her dorm, and don't let her run off again."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here." Sansa snapped, but Kaname was already walking away, his pace slow as he encouraged Yuki to follow him. Yuki squeezed her hand, and when Sansa whispered an apology, she only smiled and waved it off. With one last glance at the box, she took off after Kaname.

After a tense few seconds, Aido and Sansa's eyes met. She went rigid all over when he came towards her, his steps almost urgent, and her palms began to sweat around the item she held behind her back. She poised herself to run, staring at Aido with big round eyes, her heart hammering in anticipation. She was even tensing her muscles in preparation for a struggle should he reach for her box, yet he did none of that.

He pulled her against him, one arm around her waist while the other went around her shoulder, his fingers tangling in her hair. She gasped, freezing against him, only to shudder when his breath tickled her ear.

"You scared me." he whispered in her ear, his breath teasing the skin of her neck. She shivered, closing her eyes, her hands cramping from holding the box for so long. Yet, deep down, she wanted nothing more than to let it go and hold him back, to cling to him and his warmth, to inhale his scent and let it reassure and relax her. But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to unwind, and instead stood stock stick, her eyes wide and afraid.

"Why?" she whispered hopelessly.

"I thought you ran away." he told her simply.

"I've ran away before, why is this any different?" she said, and he released her, stepping away rather reluctantly. He looked her up and down, licking his lips nervously, and she was sure she could see a faint flush in his cheeks.

"I don't know." he said quietly. "I think I thought you wouldn't come back."

Despite herself, she smiled, drawing the box around and holding it to her stomach. He glanced at it but said nothing. "I'll always come back." she told him, promise in her tone. His eyes glittered, and he made a move like he was about to take her back in his arms, but then something flickered across his face and he seemed to think better of it. With a noise that sounded like vague annoyance, he turned away from her, and she could see the tension in his shoulders.

"Come along, then." he said. She followed him, hugging the box, the gold label shimmering from the corner of her eyes. She glanced at his hand and frowned, wondering why she felt the impulse to slip her palm into his. She reached for it, her fingers nearly brushing his wrist, so close she could feel his warmth. Then, with a shake of her head, and dropped her head and looked away.

She was always cold when Aido wasn't touching her, she realised, and she found it most infuriating.

* * *

**The questions just keep surfacing ;)**


	19. Ravens and Uncovered Truths

**A long one for you patient readers, as a little treat at the end, though its short lived... SORRY! Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Sansa stared irritably at the box in front of her, Zero on her right and Yuki on her left. The trio sat at the dining table of Kaien's home, dusk falling pleasantly on the Friday night. The changeover done and over, they returned home in the hopes of gaining a night off, which Kaien happily complied to.

Sansa and Yuki had, of course, gotten into deep trouble for their reckless behaviour, though Sansa refused to let Yuki take an equal measure of the anger as her. She insisted that Yuki hadn't wanted to come along and that Sansa had persuaded her forcefully, and eventually Yuki got off with a mild warning while Sansa was made to stay in Kaien's home for the next two weeks, under critical watch of the headmaster himself. She was only allowed to leave for class and the changeover; going out on duty was out of the question. Her curfew was as soon as the Night Class were in their lessons, right up until class for the Day Class started.

She didn't care.

"Have you tried opening it yet?" Yuki asked quietly. It was the day after Sansa had retrieved the box, and she had fiddled with it relentlessly to no avail. The only thing she could do now was engage in a staring competition with it, and frustratingly the box was winning.

"Yes." she said stiffly, her chin in her hands, elbows propped un-lady like on the table. "It's locked, and without a key there's no way I can open it. I've tried everything."

"Maybe we can melt the lock." Zero suggested. Sansa pinned him with a deadly glare, and even he looked a little unnerved.

"If this is something my mother once held in her hands, if it is something that holds some of her most treasured possessions, if it is the _only _thing left of her existence, I refuse to accidentally set it on fire." she said none too gently, and despite the flicker of surprise behind Zero's lilac eyes, his expression remained cool. He even smiled a little.

"Easy, Narita, it was just a suggestion." he told her calmly.

"A stupid suggestion." she retorted, looking away as her cheeks flamed. A moment later she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said kindly. "This is a lot to take in after eight years of knowing nothing at all."

"What do you think is inside?" Yuki asked quietly, her fingers brushing over the initials of the golden label.

Sansa shrugged. "I don't know. It sounds like pieces of paper. Maybe something like old letters to my dad? Or drawings I did as a kid? Who knows?"

"Like a memory box." Zero said thoughtfully. "My mom used to have one of those. She kept all of her favourite photos in there of us as a family." He frowned a little as he recounted a rare piece of his past. "I haven't seen it since she died. Police stripped the house bare after Kaien adopted me, and they found nothing apart from my own possessions that could be of use to me." He shrugged a little, sounding distantly sad. Sansa stared at him before lightly touching his arm in comfort.

"I'm sorry, Zero." she murmured, suddenly feeling a wash of guilt splash over her. Yuki's eyes were pitying, and silently she got to her feet and walked to Zero, squeezing his shoulders reassuringly. Zero tensed for a moment before relaxing under her hands, closing his eyes.

After a minute Yuki looked at Sansa and smiled, her eyes flickering to the box ever so briefly. "You'll get into it somehow, I'm sure. Maybe Kaname could help―"

"_No._" Sansa said in a sneer. Yuki started, taken aback, and Zero's eyes snapped open at the tone in her voice. The mere mention of Kaname's name angered her, simply for the fact that he was keeping things from her that were probably relevant. Doni was like Sansa, was once a tortured soul the way she was now, and the fact that Kaname's family had been involved in the slaying of his Darkling spoke many questions. Kaname knew more about the Forsaken than he was letting on, and worst off, she believed it was his father who turned Doni into a vampire. Just because Doni's past wasn't hers, he had once had the same tainted blood as she did, which meant his stories could perhaps aid her in her own survival. Kaname was keeping her from learning how to survive.

"Did he do something to hurt you or something?" Yuki asked a little reluctantly.

Sansa swallowed. "I just don't want him anywhere near my things." she said tightly. Even though Zero shared very similar views about vampires as she did, he couldn't hide his mild surprise to her outburst. Yuki, too, was stunned, her eyes bigger than ever. Sansa cleared her throat, stood, and lifted the box to hug it to her body. With a muffled goodnight, she left the dining room, leaving her bewildered stepsiblings staring after her.

* * *

Later that night, Sansa woke to the sound of gentle tapping against glass. At first she groaned irritably and rolled away from the sound, first thinking it was an insect banging into her window. Then, as her mind began to clear itself from sleep and gather the element of irritation, Sansa focussed idly on the sound. It didn't sound like a bug; it was too delicate a sound. Sitting up, she rubbed sleep from her eyes and blinked against the gloom, the silhouettes of her furniture slowly blurring into focus. Flinging the covers from her body, and swung her legs over the side of the bed and set her feet on the coolness of her wooden floor. Standing, a little wobbly on her feet, she moved to the window.

What awaited her surprised her. On the other side of the window, its feathers ruffling with the slight autumn breeze, was a jet black raven perched on her windowsill. Its beak was gentle against the glass as it tapped relentlessly, its beady eyes twinkling in the night. Frowning, Sansa lightly hit the window with her fist in the hopes to frighten the bird, yet it didn't flinch. However it did stop tapping and looked at her quizzically, its head twitching as it moved from side to side in order to get a good angle of the girl it had woken up.

Irritated, Sansa pushed the window up, the cool air of the night drawing goosebumps on her arms. She intended to shoo the bird away, but as she went to bat at it with her fingers, it hardly seemed to notice her touch. Instead it cawed at her, loud and alert, and gently it prodded her hand with its beak. She withdrew from it, startled at its insistence to stay put, and then nearly cried out with shock when it was suddenly perched on her arm, just above her wrist.

She stumbled back into her room, her captive arm outstretched in front of her, and her heart hammered in her chest with alarm. The raven studied her calmly, ruffling its feathers and stretching its wings as if it hadn't a fear in the world. In fact, its talons weren't even tight on her skin, not clinging to her out of fright. They were gentle and somewhat warm, life pulsing from it into her arm like gentle vibrations.

She shook her arm a little, but it didn't budge. She moved to the window, stuck her arm out again and repeated the movement, yet the raven seemed quite happy on her limb like it belonged there. It continued to watch her, and if Sansa was thinking straight or going mad, she couldn't tell, but she swore the bird was _laughing _at her. She drew her arm closer to herself, so that her nose nearly touched the raven's beak, and glared.

"Do you _mind?_" she hissed furiously. It cawed happily in response, and she desperately made hushing sounds. It spread its wings, the feel of laughter heavier now than it was before.

Suddenly, it left her arm with the silent gracefulness of a cat and flew across her room, its talons clattering against the wooden surface of her dressing table. Worse, it was bobbing along towards her mother's mystery box, and suddenly decided to take up residence on top of it. Gasping, Sansa darted towards the bird with a whispered hiss, knocking it aside and grasping the box in her hands, checking it for scratching. The raven stayed unfazed, watching her curiously. Sansa pointed a finger at it.

_"No." _she whispered heatedly. To her surprise, the raven bowed to her voice, its beak resting on the wood between its feet. Silently Sansa tucked the box under her bed, away from the bird's persistent presence and also out of side from anyone who could intrude, though that was unlikely since she was in her private home rather than a dorm.

Too tired for a struggle and believing that the raven had no intention in leaving, Sansa sighed heavily and crawled back into bed, a part of her hoping she was dreaming. The bird cawed softly, its wings fluttering again as it flew towards her. Sat upright, Sansa's eyes grew when the raven perched itself on the post of her headboard, hiding its face in its left wing like it was sleeping. She groaned, too exhausted to bat it off, and a part of her insisted that it was doing no harm.

"Give me strength," she whispered to herself before pulling the covers over her head. The wind whistled through her room, almost soothing despite the cold it carried with it, and after a while Sansa fell asleep. The raven never moved for the rest of the night, and, unknown to Sansa, it had no intention to ever leave the girl whose life was going through a turmoil.

* * *

"What the _hell?_" said Zero, stopped dead in the centre of the kitchen. Sansa looked at him hopelessly, walking tiredly into the kitchen in her pyjamas and dressing gown, her hair a mess, and a damn raven on her right shoulder. It was quiet, its talons again gentle on her skin through her clothing, and it showed no sign of being alarmed.

"What the hell indeed." she said in a drained voice. She shot a glare at the bird, who looked at her with those happy, beady eyes, like black buttons glittering in the light. "Apparently we have a lodger now."

"Where did you get a _raven?_" he demanded, walking over. She smiled at his appearance; pale blue pyjamas and bear feet, his right hand clasping a wooden spoon that appeared to be smothered in pancake mix. His hair was ruffled, the style she called 'bed head', and his eyes were sleepy behind his surprise.

Sansa shrugged, plodding over to inspect the counter where a bowl of pancake mix rested. "It tapped against my window last night and woke me up. I went to shoo it away, and the next thing I knew I had a lodger." She took out a slice of bread from the breadbin, nibbling on it the way she used to as a child. "It's probably the happiest raven I've ever encountered, actually." As she spoke, the raven tried to pick at her slice of bread, to which she snapped, "Get your own!" in response.

Zero was shaking his head in bewilderment. "So we all of a sudden have a pet raven. I'm not sure Kaien will be too pleased about that."

"Morning!" Yuki exclaimed behind them all of a sudden, bounding into the room dressed in a pair of jeans and an odd jumper, almost like that of a Christmas jumper. "How are you―Oh my God! Sansa, what on earth is that on your shoulder?!"

The raven cawed at her, ruffling its feathers. "Um... a raven." Sansa said, glancing at Zero. "You tell her." she told him.

After a quick explanation, Yuki plonked herself atop one of the counters near where Zero stirred the mix he had prepared. She eyed the raven nervously, chewing her sleeve as it too watched her in turn. Sansa shrugged again, looking from the bird to Yuki.

"You know," said her stepsister. "that looks like the bird from your old neighbourhood."

Zero snorted. "All ravens look the same. Sometimes they even look like crows."

"Actually, I remember this one." Yuki said, and pointed to the bird's face. Sansa looked with difficulty, twisting her head. Sighing, she lifted her arm up and the raven hopped onto it, enabling Sansa to turn it at a better angle for her to look at. In the light, both artificial and natural, Sansa could see something peculiar. Around the left eye, she could see that there was a ring around it, the feathers grey, nearly white. She giggled, for it looked like a spectacle.

"Cute." she said, and the raven nipped at her nose lightly.

"It seems awfully fond of you." said Yuki, and just as Zero opened his mouth, and new voice cut him off.

"_He." _Kaien corrected, walking into the kitchen with a smile. He didn't seem fazed by the bird at all; in fact, he looked as if he were looking at something very familiar to him. "He's bigger than a regular raven. Males tend to be larger."

"You don't look surprised by him." Zero pointed out, quirking an eyebrow.

"That's because he's been hovering around here for two days, since you girls returned from your 'outing'" He smiled a little. "I think he followed you here. It would be a shame for his efforts to be wasted when he's finally settled."

"Are you saying," said Sansa suspiciously. "that despite what I did, I can now have a pet raven?"

"It's not like you asked for him." Kaien said calmly. "He chose you, apparently. I can't keep you from having something you never wanted to begin with. So, if I were you, I'd think up a name."

Sansa thought about it, frowning softly, before she smiled. "Kuro."

* * *

Sansa's punishment was only partly true. Unknown to Zero and Yuki's knowledge, Sansa was still able to go and train with the Night Class during the week, at Kaname's request. So, come Monday morning, Sansa and Kuro made their way to the Moon Dorms, the raven flying overhead as if leading the way. It was odd. The bird insisted on following her everywhere, watching her every move, and, irritatingly, sharing any kind of food she consumed. Kaien had bought a stand for him so that he could be kept safe during her classes, and with a few tries, Kuro succumbed to the restraint resentfully. Feeling guilty, Sansa decided to bring him along for her morning of training.

Freely walking into the doors of the dorm, Kuro swooped down and perched himself on her shoulder, nuzzling his face in her hair. She smiled and stroked his wings before continuing, and she was met by Aido with a mug of tea in his hands. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him, and he too grinned at her, only for his eyes to widen when they fell on her little friend.

"A guest?" he asked. She shrugged, taking the mug from him gratefully.

"Meet Kuro. Apparently he's sticking around." she told him. Nodding, Aido reached out a pale hand towards the raven, who eyed it suspiciously. With a little thought, Kuro lifted his head and exposed his chest for Aido to pet, and the vampire made a thoughtful sound. He looked oddly pleased.

"I always thought ravens were aggressive." he said.

"Apparently this one is very good natured." She shrugged with a smile. "Are we going to train?"

Aido smiled, but there was something about it that didn't reach his eyes. "Actually, there's something I want to show you. I sent the message for you to come early for a reason." He took her hand in his and pulled her after him, leading her up the stairs and right down the hall. It didn't take Sansa long to notice that the building was very quiet, the only sound being that of Kuro's feathers and the duo's footsteps. Aido didn't give her time to look around before pulling her sharply to the left, arriving in a room that looked very much like a small library.

The room was no bigger than her own bedroom, yet each wall was smothering in shelves of books, the only space being that for the door and the window. The spines weren't that of novels but those of factual books, some rambling on about the history of vampires and others the birth dates of vampires, both turned and born vampires. Kuro flew from Sansa's shoulder to the windowsill, watching idly as Aido pulled her to a desk that was stationed in the centre of the room, two chairs stationed next to one another. Four books sat open on the surface of the desk, as well as pages of notes and photos. One photo in particular was of no other than Doni.

"Aido," Sansa breathed, fingering the material. "What is this?"

"I overheard what Doni had said about Kaname's father killing his Darkling." he told her hurriedly, sitting down and gesturing for her to take the seat beside him. She stared at him, remembering that flash of golden hair she thought she had imagined when Kaname had kicked her out, and her heart began to flutter. Why would he go out of his way to stick his nose in something that had nothing to do with him?

"You could get in so much trouble for this," she said softly, watching him. He glanced at her, his eyes alert, and then cleared his throat.

"I know." he muttered absently.

"Then why are you doing it?"

He looked at her again, eyes hard. "I refuse to answer stupid questions, Sansa." he told her, but not harshly. Her heart jumped, and she felt the breath escape her in a gasp. Blinking, she moved forward, her shoulder brushing his as she looked down at his work. She couldn't make sense of what was written, but didn't need to for Aido explained.

"Doni Sato isn't his real name at all," he began. "but rather Sho Mori. His parents were killed when he turned twelve years old, a human murder. He was adopted into another family, who changed his name to what it is now for his own protection. Nothing significant happened for a number of years until her hit seventeen, where his adoptive family mysteriously died and Doni disappeared. He goes off the human records completely, classed as a missing person, and then shows up in our vampire records.

A vampire by the name of Misa took him under her wing when she found him on the streets of an old town on the other side of Japan. She felt pity for him, and assured the higher vampires that she intended to do no damage to the boy and that he would simply be her 'pet'. The pair travelled for a long time, and Misa fed from Doni on a regular basis. It's believed that she fell in love with him, and since she couldn't turn him into a vampire, she decided that just his presence was enough. Personally, I think she fell in love with his Forsaken blood.

She vanished off the grid two years after she found him, and Doni stated that she was murdered by a Darkling to a member of the council once he resurfaced. Studies went into the topic, and a society emerged that claimed they were there to protect people like Doni from the monsters like that that had killed Misa. Protection of the Lost and Gifted, they called themselves, which I think you know a little about. They came forward and explained to Doni what he was, to which he vanished completely for a number of years after running from who he was, and what was out to kill him.

The Darkling gave chase, apparently, for the POLG kept tabs on the boy. Since Doni didn't want their help, they didn't interfere and instead watched and learned. When he was twenty five, Doni ended up on the grounds of the Kurans. The Darkling was on him, and exhausted from days of running in a recent encounter, Doni was ready to give up and let it kill him. That's when Kaname's father came onto the scene and killed the Darkling in Doni's defence. In a statement he said that nothing was to be killed on his grounds when not ordered from his own mouth, especially when his wife and two year old son were nearby.

He took Doni in, listened to the story he had to tell, and then offered him a choice. One, he could be turned into a vampire and watch over his son when he grew up, or he could run away from his past and into a future filled with nothing. Kaname's father revealed that Doni confessed the murder of his parents to him, even though it was by accident. Kaname's father wanted his son protected by as many people as possible with them being one of the last Purebloods around, and then threatened Doni because of his sins. Reluctantly, Doni agreed, and a year later he was a loyal, vampire servant to the Kurans."

Sansa stared at him for a long time, and he stared back. "Say something."

"I―I don't know what to say." she murmured. "You didn't have to go to the trouble of all this."

"Oh, but I did." he told her, shaking his head. "I did because you matter to me."

Her heart jumped at his words, and he hurriedly looked away. "He joined the POLG soon after Kaname's parents were killed, though he never left Kaname to fend for himself. He just wanted to help those who hadn't been as fortunate as he had been, but I think there's more to it than that. You see," he looked at her hard. "Half of the Forsaken they have on record have all vanished within the last two decades, and all of them had been under the guard of Doni."

"You think he has something to do with the disappearances?"

"I know so." He nodded. "And I don't want you going near him unless I'm around, and even then I don't want him near you."

"Thank you, Aido." she said after a long, tense moment between them, and before Sansa knew it, she had her hands on his arm, pulling herself closer to him. "You didn't have to, but thank you."

"Sansa," he murmured. "I don't think you realise the lengths I would go to in order to keep you safe. Finding out about Doni was one of them." He stood up, and her hands still on his arm, he pulled her with him. They moved away from the table, nearer the window where Kuro looked on quite happily, and suddenly Sansa felt his finger beneath her chin, lifting her face up to look at him.

"I would do anything for you," he whispered, and with her sharpened gaze, she saw the surprise in his eyes at his own words. He didn't pull away, nor blink in confusion, but rather pull her closer to him, shoulder to shoulder, chest to chest. Sansa felt her breath hitch as his hand rested on the small of her back, keeping her against him.

"Aido..." she breathed softly. Her vision pulsed with something she couldn't fathom, her blood hot despite the coolness of his gaze. His hands on her were scorching, which was ironic because of his noble power of controlling ice, yet she could find that irony funny. Her head swam with emotions so foreign to her she went lightheaded, absorbed in the blue, blue, blue eyes of Hanabusa Aido. Her arms snaked up his torso, over his shoulders and around his neck, the pair locked in an iron embrace.

"Promise me," he said. "that you won't go near Doni. Promise me that unless I'm there, you won't go near him or anyone else you don't trust." His forehead came down against hers, his breath warm and shuddering against her lips. "Promise me, Sansa." His fingers tugged at the tips of her long hair lightly, keeping her attention on him, not that he needed to make the extra effort. She had never been more focussed on anyone in her life.

"I promise." she whispered. He sighed heavily, a happy sound, and before she even knew what was happening, his lips came down on hers.

Everything in her body seemed to wake up. Her blood hummed with a new life, her heart turning into the wings of a hummingbird. Her grip on Aido tightened, and when he parted her lips with his, she gasped into his mouth. He shuddered, pulled her closer still, like it was banned for there to even be a millimetre of air between them. His scent intoxicated her, blinding her with the luscious scent of forbidden fruit and fresh ice, and she found herself whimpering pleasurably against his mouth. His lips moved against hers desperately, like this was something he had wanted for a long time, and when her tongue softly dabbed at his fang, he groaned, breaking the kiss.

Instead his lips moved along her cheek and down her jaw, before following the curve of her throat. Despite the heat of her awakened body and the wildness of her thoughts, her eyes snapped open and she gasped, stiffening in his hold. His lips were hot in the wake of his kisses, but as soon as she went still, he froze before pulling away to look at her. His eyes were lustful but still their icy blue, and she saw that he was trembling.

"I-I..." she stuttered, unable to find the words.

"No, it's alright." he said, so lowly it was almost inaudible. "I shouldn't have done that." She knew that he wasn't just apologizing for kissing her neck. With a stab of pain, she knew he was sorry for kissing her, full stop.

"No," she said softly. "don't be sorry, you just startled me..."

It was too late, for he was already untangling himself from her, his movements stiff. His fingers gripped his sleeve, not wanted to let him go, but he freed himself with the ease of freeing a piece of chocolate from a wrapper. He moved completely away, and Sansa shivered at his absence.

"Aido, I didn't mean to offend you―" she began, but he quickly cut her off.

"You didn't offend me." he said. "But this," he gestured to the space between them "can never happen."

"How do you figure that one out?" she said a little heatedly, clenching her fists. He watched her calmly, and soon his gaze followed Kuro as he perched himself on her shoulder, cawing mildly in his direction like he was defending Sansa.

"I've tried telling myself that I can never have you." he said quietly. "And I _do _want you, Sansa, more than you know, but that's selfish of me."

"Why?" she whispered, like a child. The hurt that bubbled in her chest was overwhelming. Aido was the first person to ever touch her like that, to ever _kiss _her like that. She'd never truly been kissed, not by that of someone who liked her. Aido had practically stolen her first kiss, and was then pushing her away in the space of five minutes.

"Because," he said, coming towards her again. "after everything you're going through, I have no right to worry about wanting to kiss you all the time."

"What if _I _want it?" she said firmly, watching him approach with agonizingly slow steps, like he was worried he would frighten her. He shook his head at her, stopping just close enough that she could reach out and touch him.

"You can't want it." he told her. "You're under stress, you feel vulnerable, and I refuse to be that guy who takes advantage of you without you even realising it. As I said before, you matter to me, and I will not be the one to hurt you."

Her face flamed, anger and hurt running through her like lava. She lifted her chin in the same moment that Kuro cawed angrily, and Aido stepped away slightly. "Too bad, because you've already hurt me, just now." she said with bitter slowness. "Congratulations. I suggest you stay away from me before you do any more damage."

"Sansa―" he reached for her, and she jerked away from him.

"Don't." she snapped. Glancing to the desk, she cleared her throat. "Thanks for that, but I don't want you there in the hall during my training. Goodbye, Aido."

She left, and the strain of her own life tightened around her like a noose, choking her. She bit back a sob and ran for the hall, Kuro eventually breaking away from her shoulder in her haste and following her in flight instead. She burst through the doors, reached for her sheath, and yanked Astrea free. With all the strength she possessed, she threw it ahead of her, the hilt and tip spinning in multiple somersaults.

It embedded itself in the far wall, the entirety of the blade disappearing into the brick. Sansa sank to the floor, her world spinning, and Kuro's caw swam away with the world that was falling apart around her.

But she refused to break. After several angered and betrayed sobs, she rose to her feet, lifted her head, and counted to ten. Her shaking stopped, her heart returned to its regular beat, and everything snapped back into focus. Her eyes latched onto the knife in the wall, where Kuro was now perched.

The noose around her was still tight, but not choking, and that was how she needed it. She needed it loose enough to breathe but tight enough to know that before she could be free, she needed to remind herself that from now on she had to stay focussed. No more distractions. No more solo missions. No more wasting away waiting for the Darkling to come.

Before Sansa could be happy, everything had to end.

"Sansa," came a voice behind her, and when she turned she was met by Ishio, Ruka, and Shiki. The voice had belonged to Ruka. "ready to train?"

"You have no idea." said Sansa, and she went to retrieve Astrea.

* * *

**Oh I'm cruel! Let me know what you thought!**


	20. Poison and Blood

**Chapter Twenty! Good God, never thought I'd get this far! Anyway, this one is pretty heavy, so you've been warned... The secret of Kana is finally revealed!**

* * *

"Sansa, my dear, I'm not sure what you're asking of me." said Ishio uncertainly. He had his back to the girl in his doorway, looking into the glass of his full length mirror while adjusting his crimson tie. He was of course dressed in his uniform for the evening, which was at last the night of the Halloween ball. The girls had been especially wild the previous evening during the changeover, their sensitive lust for the people they hardly knew almost overwhelming to his nostrils. Almost. Cho had been beside him, her hand in his, and that was enough to keep his attention on her and her alone.

Sansa had come to the Moon Dorm just before dusk, eyes eager as she sought him out. At first Ishio had been surprised; usually her eyes landed on Aido first. Then again, Aido had been acting very strange for the past couple of days. He was withdrawn, absent from training sessions and even disappeared during class only to return before dawn. Akatsuki was clearly unsettled by Aido's dark mood, and as if to complement his changed personality, Sansa had also taken a darker turn, her heart transforming into the black rose of her being. Her eyes lacked their twinkling tenderness, her limbs rigid with a continuous determination and anger, and most frighteningly, she hadn't had a novel in her hands for days.

With a sigh he turned to her, feeling sad towards her appearance. She was beaten raw, a bruise blackening the skin of her right cheekbone, and her lower lip with split, a layer of dried blood coating it. Scratches decorated the skin of her hands, the tips of her fingers worn and bloody. She looked exhausted, shaky on her feet, yet she had resisted rest from her vigorous training.

Two days ago, something in Sansa had snapped. That gentle cord of her good nature was no longer in a long thread, but rather a tangle tattered knots, unable to flow calmly anymore. He thought that maybe the stress of who she was had become too much for her, that the idea of each day being her last now too much to bear. He pitied her fiercely, and longed to know what had changed, yet that privacy of her mind stopped him from asking.

"You know exactly what I'm asking." she said lowly, but Ishio didn't miss the trace of desperation in her hoarse voice. "Use your power on me."

"Yes, I know that, but what exactly are you asking me to look for?" he said, stroking his jaw as to observed her with sad thoughtfulness. "Petal, you need to rest. You're insistent that you will not attend the ball tonight, to perhaps you should sleep the night away, clear your head a little. You've over-worked yourself." He smirked a little. "You've even drained Ruka and Ichijo of their energy."

"I'm a dying breed." she told him, walking further into the room. "I don't need sleep when there's a possibility that I won't wake up." Her tone was of nothing but finality, an unspoken truth she had seemed to finally accept. It shocked Ishio, and pained him.

"You worry me, little one." he told her gently. "I think of you as a friend, and to see a friend of mine suffer at their own doings hurts me. I must ask you to rest." She was close enough to touch, so he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. She flinched but didn't recoil, which he took for a good sign.

He half expected tears to ripple in those stunning eyes, but instead they glazed over, becoming something entirely unreadable. "I will if you do this one favour for me."

He sighed, tilting his face up to the ceiling. "I forget how stubborn you Cross children are." He smiled. "Alright, what is it you want to know?"

"I want you to go into my thoughts and take my memories." she said confidently, squaring her shoulders in triumph. "I want you to see the things I can't remember."

"You mean you want me to see through your eyes when you were an infant?" Ishio inquired, surprised. The small girl in front of him nodded hurriedly, a strange excitement lighting her eyes as well as something dark, something like misty suspicion.

A small caw sounded from his bedroom window, where the new resident resided comfortably. Sansa's pet raven, Kuro, was a peculiar thing; always following the girl like a duckling follows its mother. He was very protective to; he had nearly torn out Ruka's eyes yesterday for being too brutal with Sansa, who was the cause of the bruises Sansa occupied today. Despite it, Ishio had a fond respect for the bird and the hold Sansa had on him, whatever hold that might be.

"I don't think Kuro would appreciate what you're asking me to do." he said to Sansa with a small smile. She shrugged, glancing at Kuro.

"He won't hurt you." she assured him. "Not if I'm asking you to do this task willingly. He seems to know the difference between acceptable and prohibited."

"If you say so." Ishio sighed.

"So you'll do it?"

"If you promise to get some sleep afterwards."

"I promise." She looked at him determinedly, and after confirming to himself that she would do as she was told, he took her shoulder and steered her towards the lounger by the wall near the window. She felt strong beneath his fingers, her muscles tense and hard, the bone that once been prominent now protected by strengthened muscle. It was unnerving.

He sat her down and knelt down before her, staring intently into her eyes. She stared back, her eyes swimming with expectation, a muscle in her cheek jumping as she waited. He tried searching for that little spark of true life inside her, but found nothing but strengthened green devoid of vulnerability.

He touched her bruised cheek. "What happened to you?" he asked tenderly, but the question spoke more than what had given her those injuries. She knew it, too. She'd been wounded, clearly, but the pain ran deeper than that of bruised flesh and bloody lips.

"I woke up." she told him quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up from the dream I was living in. I woke up from believing that in the end everything will be okay. Everything I touch falls apart, and no matter what I do, I always end up getting hurt." She looked so sad, like a little girl lost in a world where no one other than herself existed. "It's time I faced reality and toughened up."

"You were strong before." he told her. "Your love for everything kept you brighter than a star. To wake up from a dream doesn't mean you have to stop caring."

"Then why," she whispered. "does everything I care about always crush my heart?"

He cupped her neck, which was warm under his palm, almost feverish. "Because life is there to crush you, you just have to gather the strength to stand back up and face its wrath."

She smiled a little, dropping her head at his words. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he gently lifted her chin and told her to open her eyes for him, wide, and to clear her mind of the high walls she'd built. She nodded, silent, and soon Ishio was sucked into depths of jade before falling into a pit of black, burning petals.

It was harder to search the mind of lost memories. Sansa's eyes had seen many beautiful things as well as ugly, but all had been to her knowledge. To seek something that she no longer remembered was incredibly difficult, like trying to reach for a single, tiny snowflake falling amongst those thicker flakes. He was momentarily blind for a moment as the images flashed before his eyes, fresh and steaming, and a particular image caught him off guard.

Lips on lips, hot and engulfing, hands tangled in silky hair while a separate pair touched her skin urgently, holding her close. He could see, hear, smell and even taste the memory, from the feel of her body being thoroughly alive to the intoxicating scent of earth mingling with that of fresh snow. He watched, mesmerized by her emotions and reaction to this intense kiss, and though he should have felt invading, he couldn't help himself. It was a beautifully brutal affair, as if forbidden. Through the rush of teeth, tongue and swollen lips, there was a passion that was up there to the lust he shared with Cho, and it startled him to feel it from another perspective.

The sight of dazzling turquoise eyes explained the desperation and brutality between Sansa and her unknown kisser. _Aido. _

To his relief, the image zipped out of his range as soon as he saw those eyes, and not wanting to make himself invade what was not his to learn, he reached for that tiny speck among the thicket of memories. He pulled it to him, a ball of light no bigger than a ping-pong ball, and absorbed it as easily as drinking blood.

He was seeing through Sansa's eyes, a little blurry from her young age. He guessed she was perhaps just under two years old, small, chubby hands clinging to the bars of what he presumed were that of a crib. A woman he had seen before grinned down at her, arms reaching into the crib for her baby daughter, and Sansa's inner toddler squealed with delight. The mother had a bump in her belly, scarcely hidden beneath her sweatshirt.

The image shifted to a slightly later date, perhaps two or three months, and the Sansa's mother was evidently close to giving birth. This shocked Ishio. Sansa had never mentioned her mother ever being pregnant before. He had never felt more intruding in his life! Sansa was in another somewhat crib, though this one was one of those where children were kept in order to keep them from crawling around, their space comfortably confined. Through the stuffed teddies and piles of children's books, Sansa young eyes watched her mother arguing heavily with someone, hands flailing and her beautiful face flushed. There was a man in the room, a man with bloody red hair and crystal green eyes.

Sansa's father, he somehow knew, yet it wasn't Sansa he reminded him of.

Sansa's mother thrust a finger in her daughter's direction, but because of Sansa's disconnection to the sounds she heard, her mother's voice was inaudibly muffled. Sansa began to cry at the shouting, which was loud and unbearable, and the image faded yet again.

Next was a flurry of curly red hair and misty gray eyes, big and round as they regarded a now possibly two and a half year old Sansa. New chubby hands reached for her, the youngster's face bright and alive, yet the woman who held the child had a face streaked with tears. Sansa's mother was sobbing, but Sansa couldn't register the distress. Instead she too reached for the baby, her slightly larger hands touching the infants, and both laughed with delight.

The last image was of Sansa's father taking the baby from the mother's grasp, who wailed. The baby must have been six or seven months old now, that shock of red hair a slightly darker shade than the father's. The child squealed in delight, clinging to the man, who was in a hurry to exit the house. Sansa's memory blurred ever so slightly until she was held in her mother's arms, the crying woman pointing through the glass and faintly telling her daughter to wave goodbye. Sansa waved, watching the red headed baby disappeared into a car in the arms of a stranger, the man looking sombre as he shut the door on them. The car disappeared, and the memory faded away.

Ishio barely felt himself return to his own mind, his almost dead heart thudding loudly in his chest. He opened his eyes, looking at a slightly drained Sansa, who stared back almost dreamily. "What did you see?" she asked quietly.

Ishio didn't know what to say, but the words tumbled out of his mouth before they could be stopped or thought about. "A baby."

"You mean me?"

"No," he shook his head, a careful slowness to his movements. "another baby. Another little girl, maybe two years younger than you."

Sansa's face went blank, her cheeks draining of what colour they obtained. She went rigid in front of him, and the fear in her eyes was evident. Ishio shuddered on a breath before he spoke next, his voice gravelly and uncertain.

"Your mother had mothered another daughter." he told her carefully. "Had mothered her before giving her up."

"What colour hair?" Sansa whispered, an odd question, yet there had to be a reason why she'd brought this up in the first place. Finally her eyes glittered with tears, her beaten face gray and filled with unspoken dread. Ishio almost felt self loathing. He remembered the suspicion she had held in her eyes before, and knew that Sansa was confirming a bleak suspicion that had been bothering her for days.

"Red." he said thinly. "Red like dried blood."

A sob ripped from her throat, and she fell forward into his suddenly waiting arms, heavy in his grasp. One name fell from her lips before her consciousness disappeared from her eyes. "Kana."

* * *

_ASK. _

It made sense, really. Sansa had thought about it for days, ever since she'd had that awful dream. She remembered Kana sobbing in her old bedroom, wailing at her as soon as she entered. She knew that that dream had led her somewhere, towards another piece of her life. The more she thought about it, the more the initials made sense.

Aya, Sansa and Kana, a mother and her daughters. Her whole world. Her happiest, most beloved memories tucked away in a single wooden box. It also explained Kana's unadulterated hatred for Sansa; she knew they were sisters, and resented her because their mother had chosen Sansa over her. what had she said to Ishio? _Everything I touch falls apart. _

How fitting.

She felt numb as she walked through the woods, defying Kaien's orders. She shouldn't have even gone to see Ishio, sneaking out through her bedroom window after her ponderings and suspicion had grown to be too much. She'd needed an escape from Aido's rejection and the pain of training throbbing in her muscles, and her brain had instead tied the knots of her suspicions after hours of trying to get into the box. She knew that her most important memories were of those she couldn't even remember, so what better than to confirm her worst fears by uncovering those memories?

She wanted to regret that decision, yet she couldn't. She'd half expected the outcome, really, for she should have known there was more to Kana's hatred towards her. Now that she knew the truth, she felt nothing at all. Everything grew heavier and heavier around her, and before she knew it, she was beginning to lose the will to feel anything at all on an emotional level. Maybe this is why most Forsaken died; they gave up on the life that was designed to screw them over, one way or another.

Ishio had woken her shortly after she'd fainted from shock and unwanted closure, to which she had fled before he could even talk anything out with her. An hour passed before she even knew it and the Halloween ball was fully underway, all students dressed formally with ball masks concealing their identities. She watched from the edge of the woods like a ghost out the sidelines of life, watching the smiles and laughter as couples danced and friends rejoiced happily. She felt so disconnected from it all know that just a few months ago she could have been a part of it.

But here she was, mildly beaten physically and brutally torn apart inside, dressed in jeans and a hoody rather than a shimmering dress and black mask. She was none-existent in this world the others had built around themselves, exiled from the happy bubble they all lived in. She was what she was, a Forsaken, abandoned until the end of time.

_Forever alone... _cooed the Darkling suddenly, her voice gentle in Sansa's mind. Sansa shivered. _You suffer greatly, darling..._

_That's all because of you. _She thought sourly, yet she couldn't even work up the strength to be thoroughly hateful. _Did you know? About my sister?_

_Of course... I know everything about you... I know that your mother sent dearest Kana away to protect her from no other than _you_..._

_Not me, _Sansa cut in. _You. You tore us apart. You've taken everything from me. You've taken away everything that I thought was worth living for. You're _poison!

_As are you... blood for blood..._

Suddenly, Sansa was on the ground, the rough earth scraping her already damaged hands. It wasn't the internal force of the Darkling, though, but physical strength that had attacked for from the side, just out of her vision. The slight colour she saw was enough to tell Sansa who it was, though.

Kana stood over Sansa with a bitter red smile. She was dressed in a red dress that clung to her petite body, the hems falling in tattered strips with shimmering sequins. Strapless, it gave her the illusion of a bust, giving her a more womanly facade. Her blood red hair was up in a bun of wild curls and glittering red diamonds, and smoky eye shadow heightened the fogginess of her eyes. She looked utterly flawless.

"Not joining the party?" Kana said lowly, her voice mocking as she took in Sansa's appearance. "Not surprised. No one wants to see _that _face. What happened? You have a run in with a gang?"

_You are my sister. I am your sister, and you never told me, after all this time... _"You selfish bitch." Sansa spat before she could even stop herself. Kana stopped, staring, her mouth agape.

_"Excuse me?_"she flared, her face flushing.

"You heard me." Sansa snapped, clambering to her feet. She and Kana were nearly the same height, Kana just a tad shorter than she was. The more she looked, the more she could see the similarities, like looking into a distant mirror. The same sharp cheekbones, the same shape in their eyes rather than the colour, the same fullness of their lips. "You knew, after all these years, you _knew._"

A flash of shock and even fear lit Kana's eyes, and the girl stepped back a little. "I don't know what you're―"

"Cut the crap, Kana. You can't use it against me anymore. I know why you hate me, and you used what you know against me for your own selfish deeds." Sansa advanced on her, her movements slow and rigid, her anger hitting its peak. She saw red, practically in the image of Kana herself because of the theme she represented.

Kana swallowed but stayed silent, suddenly sickeningly pale. Her bare shoulders came up against the trunk of a tree, startling the girl, and in that moment Sansa lunged, hands reaching for her throat. Kana gasped, her scream dying in her throat when Sansa rammed her violently into the bark of the tree.

"_Why didn't you tell me?!" _she screamed, ramming her again.

_"Because she chose you over me!" _Kana howled, her own hands reaching into Sansa, gripping her roots in a vice grip. Sansa shrieked, letting go, and Kana struck Sansa in the gut with her knee. Sansa toppled, but pulled Kana with her, and the girls struck the ground hard and with muffled cries. Kana scrambled away, leaping to her feet and backing away. Sansa also rose again, bracing herself against a tree as she tried to fight to the haze of rage blinding her.

"You're my _sister._" she hissed in a whisper. "And for the last two and a half years you've known and never told me! I knew you were troubled, Kana, but not _cruel!_"

"_I'm_ cruel? Listen to yourself! My mother gave me up but kept _you! _She and my father sent me away when I was just eight months old, sent me to a family I would grow up to believe were my own! Then, eight years ago, I found out the truth; I was _seven years old! _Even better, when mom took me to my real home after days of my silence, what met me was a dead woman in the doorway who was supposed to be my real mother!" Kana shrieked ferociously, lunging herself at Sansa with a scream of both pain and anger. Sansa dodged, gasping as her head hit that of another tree in her haste to move.

"That wasn't my fault!" she argued. "She sent you away to _protect _you, not because she didn't _want _you!"

"And how would you know?!" Kana hollered. "Protect me from _what?_"

"_ME!" _As she screamed the word, Kana rushed her again, knocking her down and clawing at her face. Sansa heard a rip in what must have been her delicately crafted dress, but neither girl cared. Sansa tried to protect her face from Kana's raking clawing, blood seeping from her hands in red gashes. Both of them were screaming and crying, cursing one another, portrayed the exact opposite of what a family reunion should have looked like. In the movies and books, it was like waking up to another dream, a happy, joyous time. Here, now, it was turning into a scene of anger and grief, blood on blood tainting the earth from two sisters torn apart.

Black and Red.

Poison and Blood.

"_HEY! Stop it!" _someone roared, and suddenly Sansa was free, being hastily dragged away from the wild Kana. Her sister still thrashing, fighting against whoever held her back, her curses all aimed at Sansa. Blood dripped from a fresh wound on her lip, and three red gashes formed on her shoulder down to her collarbone. Sansa could practically feel Kana's blood sizzling beneath her nails.

Kana broke free and dashed to Sansa, nails outstretched. Sansa screamed, recoiling, until suddenly it was Kana crying out in pain, followed by an angry caw. Sansa stilled, seeing the blackness that was Kuro, his talons bared as he surged towards Kana's face. Kana's cheek split open in three scratches, and Sansa shrieked in protest.

"Kuro, _stop!" _The bird instantly withdrew, but not without flapping in warning at Kana's face, who was whimpering in terror and cradling her cheek.

In a blur, Sansa was being pulled away, guided blindingly through the woods, stopping at its heart and away from any onlookers. She was choking on wretched sobs, which shook her body so violently her limbs began to cramp, and she found it hard to even breathe. Her companion pushed down on her shoulder, forcing her to the ground, and then pushed her head down until her forehead was pressed to her knees.

Five minutes passed, and finally she could breathe again. Distantly she heard Kuro cawing into the night, clearly distressed. A hand touched her shoulder, and she lifted her head. She immediately wished she hadn't.

Aido stared at her with deep concern, his eyes bright but upset. She instantly scrambled away from him, a not so new pain rushing to the surface and suffocating her. "G-get away f-from me!" As if hearing her anguish, Kuro swooped down and spread his wings in front of Sansa, screaming as Aido as he tried to advance on her. He stood, backing up when the bird began to swoop for him. Sansa shouted his name and the bird dived towards her, dropping on her arm. He was trembling.

"Sansa, are you―" Aido began, but Sansa cut him off like a knife to the throat.

"_Alright? _No, I'm _not _alright, Aido!" she shouted. "I'm so far from alright I feel like I might be falling into a black pit of nothing!" He looked taken aback, watching her, his nostrils flaring as the blood tricked down her cheek and onto her collarbone. She kept going. "First I learn I've been born to die, second I learn that Level E vampires are out to kill me, third I learn my own powers are what will _kill _me, forth is that I get rejected by the only guy I have _ever _been interested in, and finally I learn that I have a damn _sister!" _she inhaled. "So no, I'm _not _alright!"

He stared at her, frighteningly still, his eyes on her in a paralysing stare. "Shut up."

"_What?!" _

_"Shut. Up!" _

She pointed a trembling finger at him. "Don't you dare tell me to shut up, you selfish bastard! You have no right, after you kissed me only to tell me nothing can ever happen between us! Talk about playing me around!" She sank to her knees, her legs unable to keep her up, and Kuro clung to her arm painfully but stayed put nonetheless. She wanted to wail out to the world, to declare every ounce of pain in her chest, yet all that fell from her lips was a torn apart whimper. She bowed her head to the concrete, Kuro leaving her arm, and cried into the floor.

"I want it _over!_" she shouted. "I want it all to end! Make it go away! Please, make it all go away!"

There was a beat of silence, and then, "Okay."

* * *

Aido stalked towards Sansa before he could think rationally. He could feel nothing but the ripping of his cold heart upon watching Sansa unravel before him, a mix of her own blood, Kana's blood and salty tears bleeding with all of her agony. After two days of barely seeing her face, he couldn't stand any more, especially seeing her like this, and inevitably bit himself with the mark of a hypocrite. He walked behind the weeping girl, sat down, and gathered her in his lap, holding her close while inhaling the ridiculously divine scent of her blood. His throat burned, and for the first time in a long, long time, he felt the colour of his eyes shift.

She wanted to pain to go away, so that's what he was going to do.

Cradling her chin with one hand and pulling her hair away from her neck with the other, he heard her croaky question as to what he was doing. He didn't respond. After almost two months of lusting and suffering for something he couldn't have, he caved. After so long of denying what he wanted, he couldn't withstand much more. Keeping her body locked to his, he kissed feather-light kisses down her throat, alternately halting her trembling and broken sobs. He trembled, holding onto her tightly like she might run away. Instinct. Yet she remained frozen, perhaps stunned, and then gasped when he ran his tongue along the tender area of her flesh, making her whimper in both pleasure and fright.

"Do you still want it to go away?" he whispered, kissing the area of her pulsing throat. She reached up behind her, grasping his hair in her hand and pulling a little, guiding his face deeper into her throat. He moaned quietly, tangling his legs with hers to keep her in place, one arm in an iron grip around her middle. She was warm and soft and damaged, and was finally about to be his after months of denial.

"Take it." she whispered. "Make it go away."

And he did.

* * *

She was stiff at first when he sank his fangs into her throat, gently but painfully nonetheless. He was still, too, adjusting to it, her blood staining his canines in warm crimson. And then she felt it, with the drawing of her blood as he drank, and immediately all she could think about was Aido.

Aido, Aido, Aido.

It wasn't like the last time, when the Level E had bitten her. That had been painful and terrifying, but this was nothing like that. His closeness was so comforting she felt lighter than air, cradled against him as her hand kept his head down to her throat. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she felt him drain her, his tongue flicking against her skin as he drank. She could feel her blood trickle down her neck and strain the t-shirt beneath the hoody, but didn't care. Every part of her was aflame with a desire she never knew she had, and she revelled in his fangs in her skin, his arms around her, his keenness of her blood to be his.

_I am yours, _she thought dazedly. _All yours..._

She trembled pleasurably and then moaned in protest when he drew back, only to lick away the excess blood from her throat. She slumped against him when a wash of exhaustion took her, an exhaustion that was because of her anger, hurt and loss of blood. She didn't care anymore. For now she was able to forget, and instead lost herself in Aido's lingering kisses over her fresh wound, his whispered words being nothing but her name.

But the pain was still there, whether she knew what it was from or not.

"It still hurts," she whispered, looking up at the stars as if stuck in a dream.

"I'm sorry." Aido croaked, nuzzling her throat.

"Don't leave me." she said a little louder, feeling everything slip away from her. "Please, Aido, don't abandon me. I need you. I need you like I need air."

"Why?"

"Because when I die," she said, not really sure what she was saying anymore. "I know it'll be your voice I hear. It's always your voice."

"That's because I belong to you." he told her, his breath warm in her ear.

"And I you." she said, and finally slipped away into a dreamless sleep, everything vanishing like Aido had promised.

* * *

Kana watched from the distance as Aido lifted her older sister into his arms like she weighed nothing at all. She looked dishevelled, she knew, her beautiful dress ruined from the scrap she'd had with Sansa not fifteen minutes ago. After escaping the clutches of a Night Class boy she'd fled, attempting to confront Sansa in another tussle in order to free herself of her extra anger. What had met her instead made her all the more livid, yet she could do nothing.

No one knew she knew. No one knew that she knew what the Night Class were. Rin had told her, and still she longed for their touch, Aido's in particular. She'd hoped he would dance with her tonight, maybe even like her, and up until now at ignored his longing looks towards her sister. Even more so, after learning what he was and knowing for weeks on end, she wanted nothing more than for him to drink her blood and _like _it. She wanted to make him happy.

But, like everything else, Sansa had stolen even that. She'd stolen her family, the life she could have led in the academy where she'd longed for freedom, and was now taking away the one person she had ever loved.

Aido disappeared into the woods with her sister, that evil raven in close range above them. Her hand still cupped her cheek, which was freely bleeding, but she couldn't feel any pain yet. The adrenaline of her rage overrode any kind of physical pain, her self-loathing strong for knowing she would always be in her sister's shadow.

Despite everything, she was glad for the pain her connection to Sansa thrust upon her sister. She revelled in the fact that she felt like nothing anymore, living a lie, going her entire life without the knowledge of ever having another family member. She loved the fact that for all this time, Sansa had thought she was alone in the world, just like Kana had felt.

Kana hated Sansa. It was because of her that their mother was dead.

She would never forget that night eight years ago when she'd walked into her first home, demolished from a struggle on the inside, her birth mother in a heap on the floor. She would never forget the photos that covered the walls, none of which had her face on them, leaving no evidence that she ever thought of the little girl she'd given up. The agony from that night had never left her. She'd wept in a bedroom that, perhaps, she and Sansa would have shared had fate taken a different path. It was there that she was found by Rin, her beautiful angelic presence warm and comforting, and if not for her she was sure she would have starved herself in that house.

Rin joined her now, invisible to all eyes but Kana's. She was just a shadow beside her, tall and looming, yet her mere being soothed all the anger that raged through Kana.

"Soon, my dearest Kana," Rin soothed, placing a hand on her shoulder, pale against the darkness. Her nails were like black claws, but Kana was unafraid. "Sansa's time has almost come."

"Will you kill her?" Kana asked quietly, staring at the space when Aido had drunk her blood.

"Yes." said Rin. The was a smile in her voice. "Her death will be most excruciating."

There was a beat of silence, and Kana smiled. "Good."

* * *

**Aaaaaand breathe! Time's growing thin for Sansa guys!**


	21. Sinking

**So sorry it's late (again) I just get so busy these days it's ridiculous! Thanks for the reviews and follows, means a lot as I keep saying!**

* * *

Sansa was eighteen today, the day after the Halloween ball. She, Yuki and Zero stood in the threshold of the main academy hall, which was in the biggest of messes anyone could imagine; food coated the floor as well as spilt drinks, banners hung limply from the walls and ceiling, tables and chairs were unorganised and a danger hazard, and there was even a not so pleasant smell tainting the air.

Sansa couldn't have been happier with the setting.

Her neck ached from the haziness of the night before, the marks easily covered by a scarf to match her outfit; pumps, skinny jeans and a sweatshirt. In fact, her entire body ached to the point it hurt to move, her muscles having been put to their limit relentlessly over the last few days. Her face, though not so pleasant to look at as of the moment, suffered the least pain. In the mirror that morning she'd been met by an exhausted, close-to-death green eyed girl, where a single scratch mark bloodied the skin from her eyebrow, over her eye and down to her jaw. The bruise of her cheekbone from training was more prominent against the paleness of her face, as well as the bags beneath her eyes. She could still taste the rustiness of blood in her mouth even now. Yet, not caring, she'd pinned her hair back and out of her face, ready to face the day without batting an eyelid.

Yuki, concerned about her condition, promised to tend to them herself, ignoring Sansa's protests. Zero, having not said a word all morning, was clearly outraged towards the condition of his stepsister, and Sansa almost hoped Kana didn't face the warzone of his wrath. _Almost _hoped.

Apparently, Kaien hadn't known that Kana was Sansa's pureblood sister. The shock on his face had been evident early that morning when she'd confronted him. Between the blur of last night and waking up in the safety on her own childhood bedroom, she'd wasted no time in confronting him, ignoring his awaiting birthday wishes in the process. He promised to confront Kana later that day, and to Sansa's relief, she believed him.

"Let's get started, then." Yuki suggested, yet her eyes were still pinned on Sansa's face. Zero, too, was also staring at her.

"Take your scarf off, it's boiling in here." he said, his tone razor sharp. She looked at him and glowered.

"I'm cold." she snapped, and in truth, she was. Through the haze of days of exhaustion, her body seemed to have given up on even emanating heat through her skin, her blood running cold with the hard truths. Her neck was the coldest, Aido's freezing fangs still lingering in the flesh, reminding her with throbbing numbness. She resisted the urge to cradle her neck, and moved on to attack the tables and chairs.

As she worked, she went over last night. She remembered it in images, flickering pictures of shock, screaming and falling blood. She could picture Kana's face clearly, which instantly lit a rage deep in her chest, alive and blazing through her entire body. She didn't want to believe that she shared blood with that girl, the girl who had been nothing but cruel to her for the last two or so years. She wanted nothing more than to hate her with every fibre of her being, and yet…

She sighed as she piled up some chairs, making sure to keep clear from her stepsiblings. Kana had indeed been cruel and selfish, yet she was still her flesh and blood. Once upon a time, no matter how short lived, they had shared a life together, had loved one another for eight months, had been nothing but _sisters. _Now they were enemies desperate to spill one another's blood, which ultimately pained Sansa. This was all her fault. Because of what she was, because of her own fate, Kana had had her life torn apart just as much as Sansa's had.

She looked up, spotting Zero and Yuki bickering quietly over something, yet they seemed to lack their usual half-hearted hostility. They looked drained, drifting through everyday life simply from routine rather than free will. Sansa knew why. She was doing it to them; this brutality about her, this constant pain she was putting herself through both emotionally and physically, was inevitably taking it out on them, too. She thought of her connection to them, a fierce bond that she shared with no one else. Their pain was her pain and vice versa, yet she was inflicting this hurt on them just as much as she was on herself. She was being cruel and selfish, and she hadn't even realised it until now.

She imagined the red cord that bound her to her stepsiblings, dripping with the blood of their pasts yet as strong as iron. She imagined the cords binding them at the wrists, locking the trio together for as long as they may live. As she stared and pictured the inevitable, she knew; through the blood and tears and angst, these two teenagers were more of who she was than Kana would ever be.

Why did that hurt all the more?

"Sansa?" Yuki said distantly, breaking through Sansa's reverie. She shook her head ever so slightly, causing her neck to cry out in protest. Her hand flew to the hidden wound, and though she brushed it off as scratching an itch, she didn't miss the flash behind Zero's eyes.

"Sorry, I was miles away." she murmured.

"You always are these days." said Zero heatedly, earning a hot look from Yuki.

"Shut up, Zero." she snapped. "Try being in her position."

"It's alright, Yuki." Sansa said, her voice travelling on an exhausted breath. She felt everything slowly building up on her shoulders, weighing her down, taking all the life from her with each passing day. She wondered how long it would be until she fell asleep and never woke up.

Zero, his gaze still hard on Sansa's, began to open his mouth to say something when the main doors of the hall banged open. Sansa spun, half expecting Kana to be lunging for her, or see a pair of red eyes thirsting for her blood. But no, it was Kaien, ad a very panic stricken Kaien at that. His hazel eyes were wide with worry, skirting the room as if looking for someone before resting on his oldest daughter.

"What is it?" Sansa asked, stepping forward and reaching out a thin, slightly shaky hand towards him.

"Kana," he rasped. "Kana—she's missing."

"What do you mean 'missing'?" Zero demanded, striding forward. "She has to be somewhere."

"No, she vanished. None of her friends have seen her since last night, and she didn't register this morning. I can't find her anywhere."

An odd bolt shot through Sansa's chest, a pulse blurring behind her vision for the briefest of moments. She stood frozen as her family argued, her neck wound suddenly burning, the scratches of her cheek throbbing as if freshly cut.

Missing. Her sister was missing.

A strange fire ignited in her blood, and in her mind's eye she saw an image. Big grey eyes of a baby, sparkling as they looked at her. She heard a distant giggle of a child and saw tiny, chubby hands reaching for her, and beyond that a shock of fiery red hair.

Sansa darted from the room, her family crying out her name in a sea of panic and fury.

* * *

Aido didn't think twice when he saw Sansa darting towards the main gates of the academy. He'd expected her to do something stupid once she heard her blood sister was missing, and so did his fellow class members. Flinging himself out of the trees, he ignited his power to travel from his fingertips and towards the fleeing girl, the cold bitter against his skin but not painful. Sansa shrieked when the ice grabbed her feet and stationed her on the spot, her eyes frantically searching for the culprit. When her eyes landed on him, her face flushed with rage. In any other circumstance Aido would have thought she looked even more beautiful when she was angry, but today, with the raw scratches on her cheek as well as the now yellowing bruise on her cheekbone, she looked nothing less than frightening.

"Let me go!" she hollered as he approached her, slowly with his hands outstretched in a gesture for her to trust him.

"Kana may be your sister, but she isn't your responsibility." he told her steadily, continuing to move towards her soundlessly.

"To hell she isn't!" She clawed at the ice keeping her in place, and he could see the muscles in her legs working to the best of their strength. At first he thought she looked almost amusing in her attempts to free herself, but when the ice began to crack, he could feel the wave of astonishment wipe of any smile that had threatened to brighten his features. With a cry and the sound of shattering glass, Sansa was free and ultimately running.

He cried out her name and took off after her, not even bothering to keep at a human run. He fleeted towards her and grabbed her, knocking her to the ground when she began to fight him. She kicked and clawed at him hopelessly, and Aido rolled until he had her pinned beneath him, her wrists in his hands and pinned to the earth above her head. Her scent knocked the breath from him, and she wriggled relentlessly beneath him until she was panting for air. Finally she stilled and glared at him.

"We're dealing with it." he said simply. "Like I said, she isn't your responsibility."

"In case you didn't notice, she's my _sister, _Aido, my flesh and blood." she spat, her jade eyes blazing.

"Blood doesn't make her any different to you now than she was before." he told her. "She's still the same girl who targeted you from the moment you both met. Just because she has a new status doesn't make her any different now than she was then."

"Oh, I know that." Sansa seethed. "I still can't stand her; just picturing her face makes me feel sick! But my mother went to great lengths to protect her, and I owe her as much as to protect the daughter she had to give up because of me."

"Do you really think she would appreciate it?" Aido asked carefully. The more he stared at her, the more he could see the little red head in her face. The same cheekbones and rounded eyes, as well as the same fierce fire behind those differently coloured orbs. He wanted to pity Sansa for the sick truth she had to find out on her own, yet he knew she wouldn't want his pity. She was stronger than that. Instead he found himself loathing Kana for keeping the truth from this damaged girl, and wanted nothing more than to assure Sansa that Kana didn't deserve her for a sister.

"Maybe not, but it's what my mother would have wanted." Sansa said, quieter now, Aido's words assumedly sinking in. Gingerly he loosened his grip on her, pivoting ever so slightly so he could roll off her.

"I'll let you up if you promise not to run." he said steadily, watching her and seeking any sign of mistrust in her eyes. They were blank as they watched him, devoid of emotion, and stiffly she nodded. Keeping her wrists in his hands, he rolled away and stood, pulling her with him. She was shaking, her eyes far away, the girl he once knew slowly dying away.

Pulling her towards the cover of the trees and then against him, he nuzzled his face in her throat, inhaling as much of her scent as he could manage. It clung to her scarf like that of washing powder, reassuring him that she was really with him. Through the scarf, he could smell the rustiness of dried blood from the wound in which he had bitten her. He should have felt guilt, but with the images flitting through his mind from the night before, he couldn't manage it. Both of them, worlds apart and so very different, had been together in a wave of pleasure that neither could deny. He wasn't prepared to feel guilty for that.

"Everything will be alright, Sansa, you'll see." he whispered, and she mumbled something inaudible against him. He held onto her tightly, revelling in the feel of her own hands gripping at his shirt near his shoulder blades, willing his closeness upon herself. Wanting to distract her, he pressed a gentle kiss to her jaw, making her shiver beneath his lips. She tasted sweet and inviting, but he had no desire to drink from her, only to be near her.

To his surprise, she turned her mouth towards his, capturing his lips in a slightly sloppy kiss to which he quickly perfected. For a moment it was pleasant, her skin soft and igniting his cold heart, her arms locking around his neck as she reached up to meet him kiss for kiss. She was so warm and fragile beneath his hands, yet the strength that ran through her nearly overwhelmed him with a strange pride. His hand traced the delicate curve of her waist before tracing the skin beneath her shirt, smooth and perfect. She shuddered, the muscles of her abdomen tightening beneath his fingers, but when they brushed the rough skin of her scarred stomach, she yanked back, abruptly ending the kiss. She bowed her head against his chin, face down, and when he licked his lips with nerves he could taste salty tears.

"Sansa!" he exclaimed, alarmed as he tilted her face up to look at him. Tears reddened her beautiful eyes and raced down her cheeks, and he remembered when he'd seen her come out of the headmaster's office after another attack from the Darkling, exhausted and absolutely petrified. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean―"

She cut him off with the simple shake of her head. "What are we doing, Aido?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this," she gestured between them shakily. "whatever _this _is."

He blinked, surprised. Gently he pressed his thumbs into her throat, keeping her head up. He bowed down for a chaste kiss on her lips before trailing his mouth along her jaw, his hands at the small of her back and locking her to him.

"I don't know." he whispered truthfully against his luscious skin. "But whatever it is, I'd like to think it's a good thing."

"Or a disaster." she said, her voice small and cracked. He pulled back once more, looking down at her thoughtfully before brushing a lock of her out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear.

"A beautiful disaster." he murmured, and to his small delight, she offered the tiniest of smiles. Then she blinked, her pupils dilating until her irises were consumed in inky pools, and she exhaled a breath of surprise. Every muscle in her body stiffened, her breath hitching and even her skin chilled alarmingly quickly to the point of ice.

Not a second later she started screaming.

* * *

_Sansa could feel the warm pressure of a hand on her cheek, soft to the touch and most reassuring. Huge gray orbs looked deeply into her own, murky like a foggy graveyard but eerily beautiful. Coils of red hair momentarily blinded her until she laughed in delight at this little creature in front of her. She reached up her own hand in a gesture of what looked like a high five, and the child reached up to press her palm to Sansa, their hands steeped between them in peaceful harmony. Sansa marvelled in how small this child's hand was against her own, even though she couldn't have been much older. _

_"'Ansa!" the little creature cried happily, red coils bouncing with her laughing. Sansa laughed, too, bowing forward so that her forward pressed against the other's. _

_"Kana..." she breathed in a tiny high voice. "Kana, Kana, Kana." _

_Hands stills pressed together, the two girls laughed at one another, staring at their connected hands with complete content. Distantly Sansa heard a door open, drawing her attention away for the briefest of moments. _

_A lady who she instantly recognised as her mother's stumbled into the room with a crash, her back hitting the corner of a table. Sansa's father rushed her mother, his eyes big and red and furious, his mouth wide as he reached for Sansa's mother. Sansa screamed, and so did Kana, and instinctively Sansa outstretched her arms to her cornered mother, who was shouting and whimpering in terror. _

_There was a sudden sharp pain in Sansa's fingers and a burning behind her eyes that was worse than tears, and for a dreadfully long time all she saw was white light and the pain that came with it. She screamed, her arms outstretched, her little fingers cramping. _

_What followed was her waking up after a short while, shaking and afraid, her mother lifting her into her arms and cooing her softly. Kana was crying somewhere in the distance, followed by the weeping of a man. Sansa's eyes searched for the sounds, and when her eyes landed on her father, blood dripping from his mouth, nose and ears. Kana was in a play pen not far away, screaming and screaming and screaming, and Sansa couldn't shake the stench of something thick and rusty and foul. _

_She closed her eyes, allowing her mother to brokenly sing her to sleep. _

Voices roused Sansa from her sleep. She was lying on something soft, possibly a bed or a couch, and every inch of her felt weak and heavy, so much so she couldn't open her eyes. However she wasn't robbed of her hearing, and through the singing of her blood and fearful pounding of her heart, she ached to hear those voices that drew her towards consciousness no matter how much she wanted to keep such a dread at bay.

"... no time! She's losing an unbeatable battle. With the amount of stress pulsing through her veins, there is no way she can withstand the pressure of the Darkling."

"She is not to die, I won't allow it."

"Then we must work quickly. That was the worst of the attacks; for goodness sake, she bled, and if I stand correct that hasn't happened before."

Without even thinking Sansa inhaled silently, and indeed she could smell the sweetness of her own blood clotting her nostrils. Her ears felt sticky, and she could taste it in her mouth. Her mind niggled for a connection, knowing that she had seen this reaction before on someone else, but nothing came to her.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Find the Masoni girl. She and Sansa share the same blood, and her disappearance can't have been a coincidence. If we find her, perhaps we will find the Darkling."

There was a beat of silence, and then, "Gather up the others and send them out. Have them search the grounds and town centre. I don't want to see them until they find something useful."

"Will you not join us?"

"I will. Do as I say, and gather them to the main gates of the academy. Send Ishio and Cho to secure the Day Class students; they are not to leave the Sun Dorms until I command it." Another beat of silence. "Go, I will be down soon enough."

"Yes, of course."

There was the sound of a door shutting, and for a long time nothing happened. Sansa could feel herself drifting again, her soul desperately willing for the black cloud of nothing rather than this hell she was trapped in. Through the heaviness, she felt a pressure on her wrist, a thumb massaging the area of her pulse. It was a distant pressure, though, for a sheet of welcome heaviness overcame her, taking her away slowly but blissfully all the same. She heard the whisper of a voice in her ear yet she couldn't pick out any individual words, and just as the deep black sea pulled her down into darkness, she felt a prick of pain in her wrist.

She sank, falling deeper and deeper into the depths of her own head, and after a few moments the only thing she could hear was the steady thumping of her own heart, strong and reassuring, so unlike herself.

However, through the noise and thickness, she was fairly sure she could hear the raging caws of a raven, wild and desperate, until a dead silence killed off any element of life from her ears.

* * *

**Dun dun dun! **


	22. From Dusk

**It's all about to go down guys!**

* * *

"Sansa? _Sansa! Wake up! _You have to wake up now, Sansa!" Yuki screamed until her throat burned, her voice escaping hoarsely rather than smoothly. She'd found Sansa in the woods, near the lake and lying unconscious. Dusk was just half an hour away, the sky darkening towards a mix of violent orange and bloody red, and something about the atmosphere had Yuki fearful of what the night would bring. So far it didn't look good.

Sansa was on her back, her head rolled limply to the side. Her arms were stretched away from her body and her legs were bent, and her position told Yuki that she'd been dumped here rather. Her ink black hair was tousled, her skin alarmingly paler than what it usually was. Blood was dry on her skin around her nose and mouth, and it even stained the white of her scarf, bellow either of her ears. When Yuki received no response to her cries, she lifted one of Sansa's eyelids. There was no emerald, only white.

"_Sansa!" _Yuki screamed, straddling her stepsister, her panic thick in her voice. Something was happening, something bad, and Yuki needed to get Sansa out of there. The Day Class had been ordered to their dorms, and through the sea of worried eyes and hushed voices, Yuki had immediately defied the orders once she realised Sansa was nowhere to be found. Having already been sick with worry from her fast departure earlier that day, Yuki thought she could have thrown up once she'd found the missing girl here in the woods. That only worsened when she wouldn't wake up.

She slapped her.

The force behind the slap would have shocked Yuki had she not been so stressed, but to even think that was quickly overridden when Sansa's eyes flashed open with a start, her breath hitched with panic and fright as she came to. For a second her eyes were unfocused, the blacks of her pupils swallowing up the green which almost made her look inhuman. Then they rested on Yuki, and not a minute later her breathing became laboured.

"Where―where am I?" she asked breathlessly, struggling to sit up as Yuki moved away.

"Never mind that, we have to get out of here." Yuki said hurriedly, yanking the girl to her feet. Sansa stumbled, struggling for balance on her delicate legs. This was all the more terrifying; Sansa was usually so nimble and graceful. Yuki wrapped her arm around Sansa's petite waist, hugging her to her side as she guided the wounded girl towards what she hoped was safety. As the two stumbled through the tall trees, the sound of a raven caws above the, and Yuki gasped as she saw Kuro circling the sky above them in a blur of black against the murky sky. He sounded deeply distressed.

"Kuro..." Sansa breathed heavily, her worry thick and uninviting in her weak voice. She looked up, Yuki following her gaze, watching the bird for a moment before continuing.

"What happened?" Yuki asked, glancing at the blood on Sansa's face and scarf, some of it even in her hair. Sansa looked at her with bleak eyes, a horrid heaviness in their depths.

"I don't know. I don't remember." she whispered. "What's going on?"

"The Day Class has been ordered to the Sun Dorms and to stay there." Yuki explained. "When I couldn't find you I came to look for you and found you unconscious in the woods."

"Aido... where is he?" Sansa said, her eyes suddenly fearful. Yuki frowned, stopped dead in her tracks to look at Sansa. Why on earth would she be talking about Aido? Had he had something to do with her being unconscious? A deep rage woke up in her chest, blinding for a moment at the very idea of it.

"Did he do this to you? Did he hurt you?" Yuki demanded. Sansa blinked, and then staggered back as if the words had physically attacked her. Her hand flew to her forehead, a gesture she did whenever she was experiencing a severe headache of some sort.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Aido didn't do anything to me..." she blinked, looking at Yuki with wide, frightened eyes. "Kana, has she been found? I went to search for her when Aido found and stopped me, and I don't remember anything after that."

Yuki frowned and shook her head, knowing deep down that Sansa wasn't being entirely truthful. However, now wasn't the time to be interrogating her for the truth. "No, Kana's still missing. Some of the Night Class members have gone to look for her." She thought for a moment, glaring at her feet as she did. "Does Kana have something to do with what's going on here?"

A beat of silence passed, and when Yuki looked up to meet Sansa's eyes, the other girl stood with an unreadable expression. "Maybe." Was all she mustered, a flash in her eyes that Yuki couldn't fathom. Before Yuki could say anything else, a black blur crossed her line of sight before perching on Sansa's heavily bruised arm. Kuro regarded her with cool beady eyes, his talons almost breaking the flesh of Sansa's arm. Sansa didn't appear to notice.

"Let's go." Yuki said dismissively, reaching forward to grab Sansa's free arm. Sansa didn't pull away and Kuro didn't lunge for her, and the trio began to race through the darkening woods in a haste none could quite understand. Yuki felt her fear building rapidly, the air around her pressing down on her and consuming any of her confidence. All she could feel was an intense protectiveness over Sansa, as if whatever was happening centred on her stepsister.

They broke through the trees and into the open grounds of the academy, the main dorms close but not close enough. Figures moved behind the windows from the fellow students, but the distance prevented any individual faces becoming focused. The three dashed towards the building, Kuro taking off into the sky. All Yuki could hear was the slamming of her feet on the ground and the blindingly fast beat of her heart, her blood singing and her breaths ragged as they tried to keep up with her. Sansa was slightly faster, a new sense of urgency urging her forward, and for a blissful moment, Yuki thought they were going to make it to safety.

Then she screamed, stopping, and Sansa cried out her name in alarm. She too stopped when she realised what Yuki was screaming at, and reached back to grasp Yuki's hand in her own. She was shaking, her eyes huge and petrified.

In front of them stood five figures which had appeared out of nowhere. All had glowing red eyes and white points nibbling at their lower lips, and all were maddeningly beautiful as well as horrifically insane looking. Three men and two women in disguise, regarding the girls hungrily, their pale faces hidden partially in falling shadows. It took Yuki a moment to realise that in actuality, they were all looking at Sansa.

* * *

"Pretty girl." said one of the women, her eyes latched onto Sansa. Her look was so piercing that she may as well have been pricking her with her own fangs. Sansa's blood ran cold, both from terror and her own unnatural sense of danger. Her eyes roamed their faces, and the more she looked the more she thought that they all looked the same. All were monsters, and all had come for her blood.

"Sansa..." Yuki whimpered beside her, her hand sweating in her own. Sansa ignored her, thinking only of what to do next. These five blocked their escape, and there was no doubt more behind them. She could sense them all watching them, analysing their next move. She found it hard to breathe under their eyes, her heart hammering uncontrollably. She wanted so badly to run, but she needed to get Yuki out of here, first.

She moved, and the five visible eyes followed. Sansa paused, her hands raised, and briefly she looked up to see Kuro circling. The bird knew Yuki was important to her, he had to know. He would protect her, surely...

Blinking, Sansa cried out and rammed her hands into Yuki's shoulder, knocking her violently to the ground. Yuki screaming, attempting to soften her fall with the palms of her hands. Before she even hit the ground, Sansa ran in the opposite direction, looking back to scream only, "Run, Yuki!" just as a white flash emerged from the trees, diving straight toward the disorientated girl. As expected, Kuro dove and shrieked in rage, his talons extended towards the monster's face. She barely saw the impact before she turned forward, looking to where she was actually running to.

She had no time to panic. Her legs, now strong and determined beneath her, carried her to where her instincts screamed for her to go. All around her the monsters raced after her, coming from behind, left and right, forming a somewhat semi circle in their pursuit. They hissed and shrieked and howled in both fury and anticipation, some even calling out her name in the most animalistic of ways. She kept running.

After what felt like forever she arrived at the main wall separating the academy from the rest of the world. Claws raked at her back as she lunged for it, making her scream as nails tore into the tender flesh of her back, from between her shoulder blades to the bottom of her spine. The tearing of clothing and skin was loud and sickening in her ears, but she didn't let that shake her from her goal. She leapt, fingers seeking any kind of grip among the rocks, the tips becoming bloody with the effort. She propelled herself up with her feet, the adrenaline in her blood adding an inhuman need for her to achieve her aim. The monsters at her feet yelled out in fury, nails raking at her legs and tearing the skin apart. She screamed.

Pulling herself to the top, she didn't think twice about the leap that would follow. She was momentarily flying, legs and arms flailing as she attempting some form of balance mid flight in preparation for her landing. She forced her legs out, made her upper body lean forward and reached out her arms in front of her, and before she knew it she was performing forward roll when she feet hit the ground. Gasping, the breath knocked out of her as she straightened, she took off running again despite the screams of protest emanating from her chest. She looked over her shoulder―

And stopped all together. Eight figures stood on top of the grand wall, watching her with deadly stillness, their eyes still glowing that nightmarish red. They looked like guards, assigned to watch the academy and to keep anything from escaping... or entering. Something in Sansa's stomach knotted with a painful tug, making her wretch. Something wasn't right. They should still be giving chase, should be attempting to tear her to shred, yet they made no effort to move. She moved back towards the academy with trembling steps. One... two... three...

Suddenly they all hunched low and hissed in unison, startling her all the more. White teeth glinted in the lowering light, their eyes glimmering. One of the women's lips curled back over her fangs as she smiled devilishly, cocking her head.

"Run, little girl." was all she said, her voice heavy with madness.

Sansa couldn't breathe. They hadn't come to kill her, hadn't come to rip her to shreds. They'd come to chase her _out _of the academy.

A low giggle sounded behind her, and her breathing hitched. Her lungs seemed to pulse with the sudden lack of much needed air, her blood chilling to the point that her limbs went numb. The giggle, she _knew _that giggle. _Intimately. _

"At last." The voice cooed, and slowly Sansa turned, her body shaking with a range of negative emotions. She knew who she was before their eyes even met. Even if they hadn't yet met, she knew her Darkling when she saw her.

* * *

Yuki screamed for Sansa, loud and desperate as she raced through the grounds. Her arm bled heavily beneath her trembling fingers, the pain almost blinding. The panic she felt was much stronger, though. Through the disorientation of the attack she had lost complete sight of her stepsister, the shock of her wound momentarily disabling her from doing anything at all. Kuro had clawed at the vampire until its face had become unrecognisable, to which Yuki had instinctively finished it off with Artimes, ramming it through the monster without a second thought until it disappeared before her eyes.

"_Yuki!" _came a roar from none other than Zero. He came rushing from the face of the woodland with a look of utter rage, blood dark on his cheek and throat. His lilac eyes blazed as they landed on her, but she knew that the anger was not aimed at her at all. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." she said, waving him off with a shaky hand. "Sansa, she ran and―"

"I know, I saw her climb the academy wall and jump on the other side." Zero said, coming to her side. He glanced at her arm, a dark look crossing his features. He tore at his already shredded shirt and grabbed her arm, wrapping the material around her wounded limb. It soaked up the blood but was better than nothing.

"We have to find her." Yuki said when he finished.

"I know, but the vampires that chased her are guarding the wall as we speak, there's no way to get past them."

"How many vampires are there?" Yuki demanded, following him as he led her back into the woods, away from the Sun Dorms. He was stiff, every muscle tight with locked in strength and anger, and she noticed for the first time that he had Bloody Rose grasped tightly in his right hand, the barrel giving of fresh smoke as if it had been fired recently.

"I don't know, but the ones I killed were trying to give chase to Sansa. I think there's only eight now, and they're guarding the entrance." he told her hurriedly, his eyes skirting their surroundings. "We'll go to the west side. The wall is mostly overgrown there; no one will think to guard it."

A thought hit Yuki then, darkening her mood even further. "The Night Class, they should be here to help protect the academy; they have the capability!"

"I know," Zero's eyes were grave. "I think Kana's disappearance was a diversion. With no vampires in the academy, there's next to no protection. Now Sansa's out and rouge. Something big is happening, and it all involves our stepsister."

"Correct." came a new voice, and instantly Yuki gritted her teeth. Koemi emerged from the many trees to join them, dressed in black and armed with a blade just short of looking like a sword, as well as an anti-vampire pistol. Her blue eyes were bright with anticipation, the gold within them glowing in the dimness. Her yellow hair was pulled out of her face and up into a loose, messy bun, and for the first time Koemi noticed scars dancing across her throat and collarbones, silver and skinning. They looked to be a range of scratches and bite marks.

"What are you doing here?" Yuki demanded heatedly. Koemi grinned, a grin than only infuriated Yuki further.

"Why, I'm here to do my job; kill vampires." she said in her sweetest voice. "And what master Kiryu says is true, the disappearance of Kana was indeed a diversion."

"What do vampires want with Sansa, though?" Zero asked, glaring at the Vampire Hunter. Koemi smiled, but this one was a somewhat sad smile, sympathetic.

"Sansa will hate me even more for telling you this, she only wanted to protect you." she said, ending on a sigh. "Listen up. Zero, you get us out of here, I'm coming with you to find and rescue Sansa. Don't give me that look, Kaien ordered me to. If you cooperate, I'll tell you everything you need to know about your stepsister."

When there was nothing but silence, Yuki's heart racing impossibly fast and Zero uncharacteristically collaborative, Koemi clapped her hands with a bright smile. "Excellent."

* * *

Aido knew something was wrong. So did Ichijo. He could feel the dread in the air, the disturbance of something back in the place he called home at the academy. The scents around his changed, tinged with something rotten and bleak. No matter how distant, he knew that it was more than enough information to know that something was out of place, especially if that scent accompanied the unease.

"Level Es." Ichijo said lowly, almost angrily. The duo was in the rougher areas of town where human runaways tended to go, from children to late teenagers. Currently they were searching that of an abandoned warehouse, with stank of rotting food and ungodly human substances, and was also dark, gloomy and perfect for a runaway teenage girl. Up to yet, like the other locations they'd searched, Kana was nowhere to be found.

"How many, do you think?" Aido asked, standing straight after inspecting what at first looked like blood on the floor, which turned out to be just pain mixed with oil.

"Too many." Ichijo said. "We must leave and find the others."

Aido nodded, suddenly very nervous. He thought of Sansa how he had left her, pale, bloody and unconscious in the main entrance of the Moon Dorms. He could still smell her blood, could still see it in his mind's eye as it dripped from her nose first, then her mouth and ears in alarmingly heavy flurries. At first he thought she was dying, screaming for help as he'd burst into the building with the girl in his arms. Doni had been there, eyes wide with shock as he rushed forwards. He'd attempted to take Sansa from him but Aido had furiously refused, shielding her from him with a fierce protectiveness. Only when Kaname had arrived did he allow Doni to take her, inspecting her while Ishio and Ruka help prevent the bleeding.

Then Kaname had ordered Aido out along with the others, and not fifteen minutes later they were leaving the academy under orders to search for Kana Masoni. Aido cared little for Sansa's sibling, in fact was more than indifferent to her. Her performance with Sansa the night before hadn't gained her any points, either, so he was less than thrilled to be out on a search party for her. He wanted to be with Sansa, wanted to be the first thing she saw once her eyes opened, and yet here he was.

Dread tugged at him now, alarm bells ringing. Sansa was in trouble, he just knew it. He couldn't panic because he didn't know what was actually going on, but he was more than anxious to get home and find out what was going on. He rushed out of the warehouse, Ichijo hot on his heels, and in the alley way ahead was Kaname, Ruka and Akatsuki. They, too, looked anxious, even Kaname. Doni was nowhere to be seen.

"Sansa..." Aido began hurriedly, but Kaname waved him off swiftly.

"We're going back now, Hanabusa." he assured him. "Let's go, we don't have much time."

"Much time for _what?_" Ruka demanded hotly. Kaname looked at her with a cool expression, instantly silencing her.

"Until," he said. "Sansa's life is over."

* * *

**Uh oh!**


	23. Into The Night

**This chapter's pretty dark; you've been warned! Again thank you for the support, I can't thank you enough!**

* * *

The Darkling was all darkness, even her scent.

At first glance, she looked almost human, yet there was something more than unsettling about her. But upon closer inspection, details began to creep to the surface in a nauseating wave. For instance there were her eyes, large and an endless depth of black, like that of a raven's. No whites. Then there was her skin, too flawless to be human, more like glass than flesh. She was awfully skinny, almost appearing as starved, yet that only added to her Goddess beauty. Her hair was the shade of the sea below the night sky, blue tints shimmering when she moved and falling to the tips of her delicate fingers. She wore a dress, black and in shreds, the makeshift skirt falling just midway down her thighs. It was strapless, the black contrasting strongly against the white of her skin, and if Sansa looked closely she could still little flecks of blood among the material.

The creature that had been the cause of all her nightmares and grief smiled in front of her, extending a tiny hand in a beckoning motion. All the pain, the blood seeping down Sansa's back and legs and the ache of her entire body, all seemed to vanish in the moment her eyes locked with those monstrous, inhuman orbs. Her skin numbed and her blood hummed with an expectation she couldn't describe, her heart oddly steady in her chest, as if accepting the fate that stood there before her.

"Come," said the Darkling, her voice like silk. "let's talk, little Sansa."

Sansa, though her mind screamed for her not to, took an obedient step towards the creature. It was like a new life purred within her, another side finally awakened and overtaking all the sense and logic that had gotten Sansa this far. It was defeat in the gentlest, most accepting way. The Darkling smiled, a somewhat proud look on her face, not menacing at all. Sansa kept moving forward, and even the protests in her head went away.

"Good girl." the Darkling cooed fondly. She snaked her fingers around Sansa's right elbow and tugged, drawing Sansa snug into her side. She smelt like night time, a dark aura hugging her body like a second skin. Images of black petals floated to Sansa's dreary thoughts, as well as a black wedding gown, black crystal and an angel with black feathers. Anything beautiful but smothered with darkness.

"Tell me," the Darkling said. "how does it feel to finally be reunited with your other half?"

A flash of gold broke apart all the images in Sansa's head, golden hair and shimmering turquoise eyes. A name raked at her, her stomach twisting with a desperation she didn't quite understand, but this wonderful calmness denied any need to truly let this name come to light. She smiled instead.

"Weightless." Sansa said truthfully. The Darkling grinned. "What's your name? I've wanted to know for so long."

"My name?" she asked, looking momentarily puzzled. Then her features smoothed with understanding. "Oh, of course, you have only ever known me as 'the Darkling'. My name is Rin, just Rin. I'm pleased to finally meet you."

Rin linked her arm through Sansa's like a best friend would and steered her down the steps and into twilight, the sky a raging battle of red, orange and purple. Her presence was warm, incredibly warm, so comforting it reminded her of the time when she would snuggle into her mother's side by the fire during winter.

"Fascinating." Rin said to herself. Sansa looked at her, not really making sense of her current situation at all, the fog in her brain too thick. She was seeing a danger, but the thickness of her thoughts prevented her from really seeing what that danger was.

"What?"

"It's just that I never truly believed what they said, the other Darklings, I mean." Rin told her. "Once a Forsaken is united with its Darkling after years of tension, they succumb to them as easily as a domestic dog would to its master." She grinned, and Sansa saw that her teeth had been filed down to sharp points. "It appears that even you, strong and unrelenting Sansa Narita, cannot escape the path fate had bestowed on you."

Sansa smiled dreamily. "I don't see why I should fight anymore, not when this feels so natural." Rin smiled, too.

"You see? All that battling against me, all those harsh words and needless anger, must make you feel so silly now."

"It does." Sansa agreed. "But I didn't know how wonderful it would feel to finally meet you face to face."

"An easy mistake, I suppose, especially with those awful lies your friends washed you with. I only want to save you, Sansa. You don't belong in this life, never have, for your destiny was only to ever to succumb to me. A life for a life. You are the key to my eternal existence, your blood is to be mine. You do understand that, don't you?" she sounded so gentle and kind, not a thread of danger disrupting her voice. So why did Sansa's stomach lurch so much, and her mind frazzle with fire to each word Rin spoke?

"Why would you want to live forever? Wouldn't that be lonely?" Sansa asked quietly, looking around. She wasn't entirely sure where she was, only that they were on the outskirts of town. There was something familiar about her surroundings, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Everywhere was devoid of life, the local residents locked in their own homes to shield them from the horrors the night might bring. Sansa felt a deep nag inside her that she should be among them with people she couldn't put names to. She didn't want to. There was no danger, not anymore.

"My kind are a solitary breed, at least until our Forsaken is found." Rin explained. "We live the first part of our lives in near agony, withering away like a butterfly at the end of summer. Centuries pass with this pain, this slow death, and some of us never make it feel the birth of a connection to a destined Forsaken. I was close to death, and the night you were born should have been the night I died. I _wanted _to die, but I was too weak to even save myself any suffering. But then your first beat of your heart saved me, revitalized my own, and for eighteen years I have been strong enough to carry on. Until recently, that is." She sounded so sad when she spoke, making Sansa's heart rip ever so slightly in her chest. "The time has come for you to save me again, and this time permanently. I know you are strong enough; you are one of the strongest Forsaken to ever walk the Earth. Not many Forsaken can even withstand the invasion of their minds, yet _you _hold a power like no other. You could give me everything, Sansa. Eternal life will be mind by dawn, and all that pain and suffering will have been worthwhile."

Sansa thought for a moment before she said, "Why am I so strong?"

Rin smiled and stopped, gently turning Sansa to face her. Rin was a few inches taller, looking down on Sansa with a fondness in her endless, colourless eyes that Sansa felt distantly pleased. Rin placed a slender hand against Sansa's chest, just above her heart which beat steadily beneath the new pressure.

"Love," Rin said. "is your life source. You love so fiercely, Sansa, so much so that it is a part of you. Not to love or be loved would ultimately kill you metaphorically, and that emotion is what makes you so strong. Love is the blood that runs through your veins and the air you breathe."

That golden hair and the turquoise eyes returned to her mind's eye, so bright and vivid that it took her breath away. She felt the sudden warmth of a man, girl and boy enveloping her in their arms, protecting her from the world, like a family. She heard the distant lullaby from a woman, drifting in the breeze. Lastly, she saw her hand, much young and chubbier, held against that of an even smaller hand, sealing a bond she wasn't sure she understood.

Beyond that she felt her own love for these mysterious images, overpowering and life fulfilling. She also felt her passion for the smaller things in life, like the characters within a book and the beauty of water shimmering beneath the moonlight. She closed her eyes, letting it all wash over her in a sensational wave, all the while letting Rin guide her to her destination and ultimate fate.

_If I die this content, _Sansa thought, _my life will have been worth it._

"We're here." Rin's voice pulled Sansa out of her reverie, and she blinked at the building before them. The wood was still rotten, the sale sign still tall and forgotten. Anything happy about her situation soon vanished, and the numbness fell away like a blanket with the shake of her voice.

"My old house." she breathed, her tone suggesting that she didn't want to believe it.

"Seems fitting." Rin told her idly. "The house you were born in should be the place when you sacrifice your life, don't you think?"

Sansa didn't reply, and allowed Rin to lead her inside.

* * *

Kana's head was splitting. She could feel the warmth of her blood against her scalp, quickly drying to a sickening layer of rusty flakes. She sat up, her fingers weak against the floorboards, and everything screamed for her not to move. A small cry escaped her lips when she attempted to move her left leg, quickly followed by tears when the pain began to sear up and down her body. Broken, it had to be. Her face had to be horrendous to look at, because the pain that emanated from it was almost excruciating. She remembered talons attacking her face, yet that memory seemed like a lifetime ago now, and hardly important, either.

Due to the agony in her leg, she dragged herself across the floor, desperately trying to ignore the liquid sound of what must have been her own blood. Her head swam with nausea, tears blurring her vision. She tried to remember what had brought her here, and at first nothing came to light. She remembered her fight with Sansa upon the revelation of their connection, followed by the disturbing and heartbreaking event of Aido claiming Sansa as his own by drinking her blood. She remembered Rin assuring her that Sansa would suffer―

_"Her death will be most excruciating." _Rin had said, and through the white pain and awful disorientation, she remembered what had happened after that. Rin urging her to follow her, leading her into the depth of the woods and away from prying eyes. Rin looking at her, her expression changing from friendly to something dark and malicious. Rin saying the following words that had chilled Kana to the bone, _"Perhaps you should value to virtue of family, Kana, because it is the only thing you have to save you." _

And here she was, alone, cold and in agony, locked in a room she vaguely recognised. She propped herself against the wall, panting from the effort, sweat dripping down her face in a hot flush. Looking around she furiously wiped the tears away from her eyes, and to her horror she realised where she was. Sansa's birth place, _her own_ birth place. This was the room that, once upon a time, she and Sansa had shared. This was the room Kana had wept in on the night she had found her mother dead by the front door. This was the room that she both hated and loved.

Panic hit her hard in the gut, and she suddenly heard the door downstairs open and close, followed by hollow voices. She tried to call out, but her voice was too rusty to truly make a difference. It was like a handful of dirt had been shoved down her throat, making it itchy and devoid of sound. She began to weep instead in the hope that the people in the house might hear her.

The voices drew closer, footsteps on the stairs beyond the door. The first voice she recognised as Rin's, smooth and wonderful as she spoke kind, false words, and the second was none other than Sansa, she too sounding false. Her heart began to pound to the point it hurt, and to her surprise her sobs turned into somewhat muffled, pained screams. The door opened, and Rin entered, smiling broadly.

"Finally woken up to watch the drama, I see." she said easily, gracefully moving to the centre of the room. Behind her, with fearful slowness, Sansa moved into view, and for the very first time Kana had never felt more pleased to see her. It was short lived. Sansa was a wreck, blood on her face and clothes, her hair a tangle of knots like she had run through shrubbery. She moved like she was in pain, and when she briefly turned her back to her, Kana was the shredded back of her top and the blood that stained her back. On order, Sansa closed the door behind her and turned to face Kana with empty jade eyes.

"S-S-ansa..." she croaked, reaching a hand to her sister. Sansa stared before glancing at Rin.

"Why is she here?" she asked.

"To be taught a lesson. Both of you, the lost sisters, are here to be taught a lesson." Rin said in a matter-of-fact tone, now on her knees as her fingers danced over the dusty floorboards. Kana continued to stare desperately at Sansa, pleading with her.

"H-help..." she wheezed. "Please... help..."

"Sansa won't help you, my darling." said Rin, glancing up with those horrible black eyes. "Darkling and Forsaken are united at last. Sansa's obedience rests only to me, now."

A sick dread pulled Kana down, yet she continued to reach for Sansa, her fingertips bloody. Sansa just stared at her as if she didn't know who she was, and that terrified Kana into blindness. Sansa, no matter how much she didn't want to admit she knew it, had always had a keen sight when recognising people. Even people she didn't know were always analysed, always noticed. To have this new girl here, seeing her but not truly _seeing _her, was gut wrenching.

"Sansa..." she rasped desperately. "This... isn't y-you... You don't listen t-to any o-one..."

Rin strode towards her then, and mercilessly rammed her foot into Kana's side, making her shriek with pain and fall on her side. To her horror and astonishment, Sansa didn't even blink.

"Enough from you." Rin hissed angrily. "Sansa doesn't have to listen to your lies."

"W-what lies?" Kana demanded weakly, glaring despite the fire raging in her side.

"This is who Sansa has always meant to be. She is my vessel, my servant, nothing more."

"Y-you're... wrong..." Kana said breathlessly. "Sansa is nothing less than... _human._" This earned another attack, Rin's foot diving into her stomach. Kana doubled with another cry, and then howled with pain when Rin slammed her foot down on her broken leg. She saw stars, her scream seeming to rock the entire room, and then she flopped when the energy drained from her. The pain didn't subside, but she could muster another scream. Instead she looked to Sansa through dreary eyes, a last attempt at making her see sense.

Sansa wasn't even looking at her, but at Rin with nothing less than admiration.

* * *

Rin pulled two planks from the floor, tossing them aside impatiently. She reached her hands into the floor and pulled free a very familiar looking box, and through the haze she felt her heart jump in surprise. It was the same box that should have been in her own room, safe under her bed, away from prying hands. What was it doing here?

Rin smiled at Sansa. "You recognise this?" she asked kindly.

"It was my mother's." Sansa said. "Why do you have it? It should be in my room."

"Indeed. I took it early this morning while you slept and stored it. I know you haven't been able to open it, so I'll do it for you." Rin stood and looked suddenly frightening, her face set. Gripping the box with both hands, black claw-like nails marking the wood, she raised it above her head and threw it to the ground, the crash almost ear splitting. Sansa cried out in protest when it shattered, pieces of wood skittering towards her feet. Its contents spread across the floor in a heap, and Sansa was both pleased and dismayed to see it.

"You didn't have to do that!" she cried before she could stop herself. Rin merely grinned and bent down, plucking one of the items between her black nails, holding it up. Before Sansa could get a good look, Kana moaned from her place in the corner of the room, from both pain and to get attention. Rin spun and marched towards her, gripping her red hair in her hands and yanking up her face. Blood oozed from the wounds of her face, the strain on her skin reopening them. She reminded Sansa of the last character to die in a slasher film.

"What do you see?" Rin demanded, thrusting the photo in Kana's face. The girl blinked and cried, shaking her head in protest. Rin pulled on her hair harder, forcing her to look, and Kana was in so much pain that all she could do was obey. Her eyes were wide and watery, tears already running down her filthy face. A shaver ran through her. "Well?"

"Me a-and Sansa." Kana croaked, and Rin released her when she spoke.

"Yes, you and Sansa, happy children. Your mother preserved this photo as well as many others in the hopes that your bond would stay true in memory." Rin told them, a cruel smile ugly on her face. A part of the fog in Sansa's mind lifted when she felt a pang of dismay, rushing over to snatch the photo from Rin with a little force. She stared at it, eyes wide, and her stomach twisted. It was of herself and Kana, indeed, back when they were true siblings. What was most unsettling was that their hands were pressed together, like Sansa had seen earlier in her mind, captured and trapped in time. She looked from Rin to Kana and back again.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked helplessly, letting the photo flutter to the floor. Rin grinned.

"Wake up, Sansa Narita." she whispered, her voice almost like a purr. "I'm not here to save you, I'm here to make you suffer for all the years you made me wait. I'm here to make you beg me for death. And it starts with the death of the only blood relative you have left."

Then, like turning off a switch, Sansa's head cleared and her eyes snapped back into focus, seeing everything for what it truly was. Her own room, old and cold and abandoned, the floor now stained with Kana's blood. Kana, a heap in the corner, wailing in terror when Rin approached her. Rin, not an angel sent to save her but a demon set on ripping her and her life apart. Everything hit her in one smooth motion, knocking the breath out of her, and at the same time all the pain attacking her body was a rush of fresh agony, and she could do nothing but thrive on it. Reality was back, her mind was her own again, and she was about to shed as much blood as humanely possible.

She screamed, lunged, and placed herself between Rin and her sister, a new lust alive and pulsing in her veins. Rin looked startled, freezing in her advance before she smiled.

"Welcome back, _Sansa._" she said quietly. Sansa, to her own amazement, grinned and flexed her fingers, which were dripping blood.

"Let's finish this." she said bitterly, forcing away the fog that threatened to overcome her again, her eyes pinned on the depths of her nemesis. Rin smirked, crouched, and flung her weight at Sansa.

* * *

Aido could smell blood, and a lot of it. He approached the house with anxious steps, wanting to run inside but still needing to calculate what was actually going on inside. The scent of blood belonged to two people; Sansa certainly, and another scent that was in relation to hers, just not as sweet. Kana. He could hear a distant struggle and a muffled scream from the old house in front of him, which he somehow knew was Sansa's original home. It had that aura of a bad past, blood tainting the walls, a horror from the past now unfolding again here and now.

But something was wrong. To have the place unguarded was odd, unsettling. The Darkling would want to deal with Sansa without being interrupted, and now he felt nervous at the prospect. He had broken away from his group upon catching the scent of Sansa, and now he wished he hadn't. He had a fight on his hands, he was sure of it, and he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to battle alone.

He took a tentative step forward and then he heard a low chuckle, a mocking sound among the trees. Suddenly a figure emerged, tall and brooding and sickeningly familiar, and even in the darkness it didn't take long for Aido to know who it was. He stiffened, furious, as he locked his eyes with those horrific black pools.

"Good evening, Aido." said Doni, moving to stand in full view, a charming smile on his face. "A pleasure to see you despite your lack of invitation."

"Move aside." Aido said, though he knew his words were useless. Doni laughed at his futile attempt at heroism.

"I'd rather not, my post is here. Besides, Rin's meeting upstairs is private and not to be interrupted." He smirked darkly. "As you can hear, a lot of tension is unfolding." A shriek followed his comment, painfully recognisable as Sansa, who sounded like she was in sheer agony.

"What is your involvement?" Aido demanded, itching to move but unsure of Doni's abilities. He had to be smart now, had to be focussed. A wrong move could easily have him killed, noble vampire or not.

"My involvement? Well, it is quite simple. I never wanted this life, this constant thirst for blood and living off purebloods. I never wanted to be Kaname's servant, never wanted any involvement with his parents of _him _for that matter. They stole my humanity after they killed my Darkling; instead of leaving me be, they _ruined _me." He didn't sound angry, but the depth behind his words sounded as if they had held a lot of fury in past years. "When he expressed his concern for a fellow Forsaken being hunted, I couldn't resist the chance to ruin him, even if it was just a fraction. I tracked Rin down, since we Forsaken have a keen sense for Darklings, and she agreed to take me under her wing. Sansa has been the target to my arrow the moment Kaname sent word out to me."

"But Sansa is innocent, she never brought harm to you!"

"Maybe not, but I like to think I am a rare case in surviving a destined fate." He cocked his head, smirking devilishly. "I don't want the girl to rain on my parade."

"_You sick bastard_." Aido seethed, and didn't even think; he threw himself at Doni with all the force he possessed, his fangs bared and his hands like talons reaching for his throat. Doni laughed and met him midway, the vampires crashing together and hitting the ground painfully. Aido hardly felt it. He clawed furiously at Doni's throat, tearing skin and earning a gratifying howl from his victim.

Nails dragged through his flesh, from his temple to below his jaw and he barked out in pain, retaliating naturally. A bone somewhere snapped, but whether it was his or Doni's, he couldn't be sure. As they struggled, Aido grasped a handful of Doni's hair, pulling his head back into the ground and exposing his throat. Lust was greater than his willpower, and in the second that it took for Doni to realise his intentions, Aido was already sinking his fangs into the tender flesh of his throat.

Doni struggled beneath him, flailing and gurgling as Aido drank. He didn't taste good; the blood of a vampire had taken away his luscious natural taste. Or maybe his character had something to do with it. Either way Aido drank, draining him, keeping him pinned to the groaned as he drank angrily and determinedly. He took no pleasure from it, no pride or satisfaction, only a bloodlust for a demeaning death.

Doni withered, going limp beneath him, but he was still breathing. Aido pulled back none too gently and glared down at him, wiping the blood angrily from his mouth. "You were right, you weren't worth the effort of saving." he told him, watching as Doni's eyes slowly glazed over. Doni smiled.

"No, I wasn't. I should have died that night, just like Sansa is destined to die tonight. As I said," his breath rattled. "no matter how much you devote yourself to her, she will break your heart without even intending to. Death has no mercy."

"No," said Aido, cradling Doni's face in his hands. "it _doesn't_." And he twisted until he heard a swift _snap._

* * *

Rin pinned Sansa beneath her, her face hidden in the shadow of the now completely darkened room, night time in full swing. Her body howled, blood seeping from every part of her body where Rin's claws had attacked her, yet the pain was what kept her awake and alert rather than frightened and weak. Sansa could hear Kana weeping somewhere behind her, begging for it all to stop, but the fighting was far from over. Rin locked her hands around Sansa's throat and pushed, her face now mad with an awakened rage and eagerness.

"Do you know how the process of this works?" she rasped, ignoring Sansa's wheezing. "I have to kill you and then suck out your soul. I do that by looking into your dead eyes before the soul can escape, and then I absorb your aura and with it the power to possessed in life, which will embed itself in my blood and promise me eternal life."

Sansa strained, reaching for her belt. Astrea was in her waistband, the tip cutting into her thigh, and only now had she realised she'd had it. The blade hummed with life, and even though she wasn't fighting a vampire, now was as good as any time to use it.

"That's a nice story," she gasped around Rin's fingers. "but it'll take more than that to frighten me, you bitch." She yanked Astrea free and slashed her arm left to right, pushing the blade through the Darkling's abdomen. The monster howled, lurching back and clutching her new wound. Sansa scrambled to her feet and raced for Kana, who was now silent and alarmingly drowsy.

"This is going to hurt," Sansa whispered, though she didn't think Kana could hear her. She draped the other girl's arm around her should and pulled, yanking the girl to her feet. Indeed she screamed, doubling when the weight landed on her broken leg, and Sansa felt her weight pull her down with uncomfortable force. She puffed out a breath and hobbled towards the door, Kana sobbing beside her but cooperating nonetheless. She whispered words of encouragement while her heart pounded with the anticipation of another attack, constantly looking back to check for an assault. To her amazement and horror, Rin was not pursuing her.

"_Sansa!"_ screamed an all too familiar voice, and at the bottom of the stairs stood Aido, bloody and alert, three claw marks on his face with the trace of blood, though the wounds had already healed. He looked awful, his face a look of terror upon seeing her and the mess beside her, but she made no effort to comfort him, nor did he stop to ask. He fleeted up the stairs, scanned Kana's body, and carefully lifted her into his arms. The girl whimpered, but she was too exhausted and shocked to even scream now.

"Get her somewhere safe." Sansa ordered Aido. He glared at her.

"I'm not leaving without you." he snapped.

"You have to, this is my fight, not yours. Get out of here, and don't look back. I will find you, Aido, I promise." She reached up and caught his lips in her in a chaste kiss, tasting blood and bitter sweetness. Aido made another sound of protest, but the weak moan from Kana cut him off. She stared at him hard. "_Go._"

Seeing that she wasn't going to back down, he ran from the house and Sansa moved back to where she had come, shivering and tense, ready for a collision. Nothing came, and the rooms were empty. She edged into that of her mother's room, her breathing painfully loud, Astrea shaking in her grasp. She moved to the window, looked out, and heard a shriek of rage behind her.

She never had time to lift Astrea before she went plunging through the glass, Rin close behind, and for a second it was a sea of fall crystal all around her. Then the sensation of flying hit, hastily followed by falling, but she barely got out a scream before the ground met her all too soon.

Bones snapped, breaths were knocked, but Sansa merely got up and ran into the darkness, a bullet fleeing into the night. Rin, of course, didn't hesitate to pursue, and the moon shone above them in a mockingly calm halo.

* * *

**Roughly about 2 more chapters after this... sucks I know! Make sure to review!**


	24. Author's Note

**Okay you guys, I know this story is so close to finishing and I left it on a really big cliffhanger, but I hate to inform you that I won't be updating for a couple of weeks after this notice. **

**I was going to update today with at least one more chapter, but as it turns out I got too busy with preparing for my holiday, and I leave tomorrow. I am so sorry, I will try my absolute best to update tomorrow but I very much doubt it. Since you have all been so loyal and supportive, I thought I'd better not leave you hanging. **

**I will write again in two weeks, and I hope you don't all hate me too much!**

**- Hollie**


	25. Until Dawn

**I'm back! I know it's been three weeks or so, but I've just been so busy since I got back that I just haven't had time to carry on until now! Thank you for being patient!**

**Chapter 24, try to enjoy it...**

* * *

Sansa saw red. She saw it like blood behind her eyes, dripping rubies before the vividness of her world. Everything seemed to slow down; she felt like she was trapped in a bubble, hearing her blood sing, her rasping breaths, the screams of her muscles. Her surroundings zipped past her and yet she felt like she wasn't running at all, her soul detached from her body somehow. But she kept going, no matter how disorientated she began to feel, because it was the only thing she knew how to do anymore.

Her head throbbed painfully, and she knew that Rin was trying to invade her mind as a last attempt to stall her. Sansa was having none of it and she pushed the intrusion violently aside, all the while feeling her body drain of energy in her near futile attempt to keep her mind as her own. She felt pulled down, feeling too heavy to keep going. There was only so much she could do; run for her life _and _guard her mind was just too much for her.

She'd left the town behind her, and found herself in a field that consisted of yellowing grass, a small farm house standing tall just down the bank. As she collapsed, exposed and feeling like death was caressing her, she rested her eyes on the academy in the distance, its lights flickering with vain hope. She squinted; she was sure that, even from here, she could see figures running up the grand stairs towards the main gates. She closed her eyes, telling herself she was hallucinating.

The grass smelled both fresh and stale, its luscious green dying and taking its finery with it. She could smell, taste and feel her own blood, warm and sweet and luscious. She rolled onto her back, and her bleary gaze managed to focus on the sheet of glitter above her, the stars somehow innocent against the blackness of the sky. For a second she felt safe and she reached up with her left hand, as if hoping to reach for the stars. What she saw, to her surprise, was a bandage of her wrist, soaked with blood. She didn't remember cutting it there, nor getting it bandaged.

Suddenly, pulling her free from her slight confusion, Rin was standing over her, panting and looking insane. Her black eyes were wild, pits of black rage, and in the low light Sansa could still see the blood staining Rin's mangled hair. The Darkling was trembling, her hands clenched, and she none too gently slammed her foot down on Sansa's chest, pinning her to the earth. Sansa smelled coal and something rotten, like burning hair, and it took her a moment to realise it was the Darkling's fury. Sansa peered up, all the fight gone from her, and watched a droplet of blood trickle down Rin's face like a tear.

"You filthy little Forsaken." Rin seethed. "Did you really think you could run from me? Did you truly think you could outwit me?" The Darkling crouched as she spoke, capturing Sansa's throat in her hand before slowly squeezing. Sansa had nothing left in her to allow her to resist. "Did you really _think _you could _survive?_" she spoke in a whisper now, tauntingly beautiful as much as it was deadly. "You and I are knit, Sansa. You can run until the end of time and you will never be free. As long as your blood continues to flow, I will continue to live and hunt you down like the worthless rat that you are."

"Worthless?" Sansa said, though her voice sounded far away. It held no emotion; no fear, no anger, not even sadness. It was as empty as what lay beyond death. "Yet you have chased me from the moment I was born. Hardly worthless."

"That tongue of yours has never done you good, has it?" Through her blood streaked face, Rin grinned. It made Sansa feel sick.

"I must have done something right, though." she said quietly.

"How so?"

"My tongue never stopped people from loving me, and vice versa. And what do you have?" Despite herself, Sansa smiled. "You have a dream of living for eternity all alone." She split her features into a menacing grin. "If you ask me, that way of life kind of sucks."

Rin shrieked with anger, and began to push down on Sansa's throat with both hands. Sansa hardly felt any pain. Her body wheezed and shuddered, but that felt disconnected. Through the cloud of her vision, the stars above her blurring together in a massive sheet of silver, Sansa's fingers dragged themselves along the grass. Trembling, they came to rest of the hilt of Astrea, cold to the touch. It hummed silently beneath the tips of her fingers, welcoming, and she swore the metal warmed. Then, with the last bit of energy she physically had, she whipped the blade free and slashed it across Rin's abdomen.

The crushing on her neck vanished as Rin screamed, and Sansa sat up with her hand massaging her throat. "People really need to stop strangling me, it's getting old." she said darkly, staggering to her feet with Astrea at her side, dripping scarlet.

"Oh?" said Rin, clutching her middle with an already bloody hand. Her eyes flickered from Sansa's face to the dagger in her hand, which seemed to glisten in the dimness. "Perhaps we can rearrange tactics." Without further comment Rin lunged and knocked Sansa to the ground, and the two of them struggled in the dirt with pained and enraged screams.

Sansa came to straddle Rin, desperately trying to plunge Astrea into the Darkling's chest. Rin resisted, pushing against Sansa's hands. "Do you know... why they sent... Kana away?" she rasped as she continued to fend Sansa off.

"Yes!" Sansa spat. "Because of me!"

"No!" Rin screamed. "Because of your father!" The Darkling reached up and raked her claw-like nails down Sansa's face, and the pain was like blistering fire. Still she continued to try and impale Rin, but she could feel herself giving way yet again. "He attacked your mother... he turned into a vampire, and he was going to kill you all." Rin said, and Sansa knew what she was doing; stalling. "_You _fended him off, and nearly killed him, all because of who you are. They sent Kana away in order to protect her from your father, and not you because you could look after yourself." Rin grinned. "Little good it did, since your father killed himself in the end. The power of guilt is truly amazing."

That was all it took. Sansa would later regret it―she should have known better―but she froze and gawped. She'd believed it was her who was the danger, that it was because of her that her parents sent Kana away. Then she remembered snippets of a dream, of her father pushing her mother, fangs bared and his eyes blazing red. Just that image was all it took―

In a snap, Sansa was forced onto her back, Astrea snatched from her grasp. She hardly had time to blink; Rin howled with triumph, raised the dagger high above her head, and sent it plunging down.

* * *

Yuki screeched in terror when she saw the two figures ahead, and Zero wasn't fast enough to cover her eyes. She saw it, that _thing, _plunge the knife into her stepsister's gut as if Sansa were just a slab of meat in a butcher's. Everything happened so slowly; the blade slicing through tender flesh, Sansa's back arching as the agony raged through her, quickly followed by a gurgling scream, the laughter of the monster Koemi called Darkling, the Darkling standing and leaving the dagger embedded inside Sansa, who had grown horribly still.

Yuki dropped to her knees, shaking all over, blind with tears and grief. She couldn't feel anything, couldn't understand her surroundings; all she knew was that Sansa was far closer to death than she had ever been before, if she wasn't dead already. She heard the mumble of talking, but it sounded like it was coming from another room entirely. Instead she was busy crawling towards Sansa's body, the grass cold and damp beneath her. She thought she could hear Zero calling for her, but she took no notice.

She came to a still beside Sansa, laying painfully still on her back, her eyes closed and her lips parted. Blood was seeping from her mouth. Yuki heard something, a sound like that of an animal in dire pain, and then she realised it was her. She reached for Sansa, finding a hand that was limp on her chest. Yuki clasped Sansa's fingers between hers, and suddenly began to repeat Sansa's name, begging her to wake up.

She didn't wake up.

The dagger, Astrea, was still in her stepsister's stomach, glinting in the darkness. Yuki could see Sansa's clothes darkening to black rapidly, and another agonized cry escaped her. She shook Sansa, begged her to open her eyes, and still she would not wake. Yuki bent over her, sobbing greatly, and pressed her ear to Sansa's chest.

All she heard was silence.

* * *

Koemi, for the first time in years, felt her heart sink at the sight of Yuki. A great guilt swept over her like nothing she had ever felt before, for she was supposed to have kept Sansa alive. That guilt was quickly pushed aside; the Darkling began to approach the sisters, blood dripping from the tips of her fingers which folded into fists. Yuki was too swallowed up by grief to notice the danger coming towards her, and Koemi didn't think to waste any time. She and Zero jumped forward and seized the Darkling, throwing her to the ground with a head splitting force.

The creature screamed with rage, but Koemi couldn't help but notice the immense difference from this one compared to the last one she'd encountered. That Darkling had been all fire; red hair, red eyes, red clothes. Even in death, lying beside her own Forsaken, that Darkling had been beautiful. This one too was beautiful, but mad, its feminine face twisted with insanity. Covered in blood and every limb suffering from some kind of wound, this creature looked like it had just stepped free from a horror movie.

"Unhand me!" it howled. "I demand you release me! This business is no concern of yours!"

Zero didn't even seem to think about his actions; he freed his Blood Rose and held it to the creature's forehead, his expression grave. "You've just murdered a member of our family." Zero snarled, his eyes ablaze.

"She wasn't _human_!" the creature hissed, seemingly unfazed by the gun pointed at her head. "She was never your sister, she's _mine_!" The creature glared ferociously, and Koemi was sure that she could see flames in its eyes. "Put that thing away, I'm not a damn vampire, it won't kill me."

"You _murdered _my _sister._" Zero said again, and his voice shook. Koemi looked up with a blink; she'd never associated emotion to Zero Kiryu at all. That single quiver in his voice, though, was enough to make her heart jump a little with pity, that human gesture putting a crack in the careful wall she'd built around herself from the moment she began training as a Vampire Hunter. The Darkling noticed it, too.

The thing smirked then, momentarily halting in her struggle. "That's weak, even for you. I've watched you for four years, Zero, and you have just proven that the entire race of humanity is weak." Her eyes flickered towards Sansa's body, merciless. "That was her undoing, as it happens."

"Shut up!"

"Unhand me. It's over; she's dead. Her soul belongs to me, and after you shall never see nor hear from me again." The Darkling glared at the duo pinning her down, and for a moment the only sound was that of Yuki's agonized sobs―followed by her screaming.

Koemi's head jerked up, and without a thought she lunged herself towards the other girl, her anti-vampire gun out and ready. Yuki was clinging to Sansa's body, her eyes pinned on a monster with red eyes advancing on her. It was clear that Yuki was trying to protect the body despite the circumstances, but grief was much greater than logic. Koemi shot between the two sisters and the Level E, gun raised, and in a single shot the creature vanished into thin air with a distant howl of agony.

"Yuki," Koemi said, her voice oddly small. "you have to get up."

"_No_!" the other girl cried, and when Koemi looked at her she wished she hadn't. Her face was twisted with agony and grief, her usually pretty eyes red and streaked with tears. She had never looked more innocent; it was like looking at a kicked puppy only ten times worse. She wanted nothing more in that moment but to let her grieve, her and Zero, but they all knew that that wasn't possible, at least not yet.

"Please, Yuki, do it for Sansa." She spoke softly, and gingerly she reached a hand out to the brunette at her feet. After brief deliberation, Yuki wiped her eyes and took her hand, allowing Koemi to pull her to her feet. With a muttered order to arm herself, the duo looked around, and even Koemi felt a prickle of fear rise from her gut.

Level Es, a circle of them, all with their gleaming eyes and glistening fangs. Zero had just finished another one off, and even he froze with surprise when he looked up. He edged slowly to the girls, and Koemi tried to calm the fearful flutter of her heart. The Darkling was on her feet, grinning horribly, her eyes pinned on Sansa's body.

"Finish them." the monster said, and drifted away calmly when all the vampires came surging towards the still standing trio like a wave.

Koemi had no time to wonder what the Darkling thought it was doing; she lunged for an advancing vampire, screaming with determination as she met it mid attack. It was female, dark hair and fiercely hungry, and Koemi felt herself shift to her other self, the Koemi who feared nothing and welcomed danger. With a little struggle she had the vampire at her mercy, shooting it in the chest and making it disappear.

She looked up to see Yuki and Zero fending off many other vampires, and doing surprisingly well for that matter. However Koemi caught sight of one stalking around them, its eyes pinned on Yuki. Koemi ran towards it, striking it with a sword that had been at her waist, and Yuki spun around with a look of grave shock. She nodded, a thanks, and Koemi nodded in return before fighting by their side.

She caught a glimpse, then, of the Darkling, bent over Sansa's body. It was staring intently into Sansa's eyes, and a sick twist violated Koemi to the point that she gasped. Yuki looked after fending off another vampire with Artimes, Zero shooting down two vampires with one bullet, and the three of them turned to look in that brief second. Sansa's name formed on Koemi's mouth, but when it was shouted, it didn't come from her, nor her companions. They turned―

What came to meet them was a group of the Night Class students, and among them, Hanabusa Aido charging towards Sansa's body and nearly knocking Koemi over. She let him pass, open-mouthed, and silently hoped he avenged Sansa in a way that she never could. She turned back around and continued fighting, distantly surprised she was fighting vampires with vampires.

* * *

The Darkling went flying when Aido collided with it, his fangs bared and his rage blinding. The thing screamed in both pain and surprise, hurtling into the ground with a loud thud that would have broken human bone. Aido yawned to be by Sansa's side in that moment, but he couldn't take his eyes of the beast that had ruined her life from the moment she was born. It looked back at him with whole black eyes, seething.

"Good evening, Aido." It purred, and he felt his body spasm with a deadly fury. He did not reply, but instead licked his lips before hissing menacingly. He tasted blood from where his fangs had pierced his bottom lip. The Darkling looked at him with an odd curiosity, its eyes smoking, but the trembling in its body told Aido that it was restless and wanted nothing more than to reach the motionless girl at his heels. He tried to block out the smell of her blood, warm and stronger than ever, but not because of his lust for it; he just didn't want to believe the consequences behind that strong scent.

"You really do have pretty eyes," the creature observed, its voice laced it a sickening admiration. "Sansa always thought so, though she never wanted to admit it. She was always mesmerized by them, like the sea holding a coral reef. It made her feel… safe."

Aido felt his eyes burn, and not just with a foreign emotion he could only imagine was grief. No, he felt the colour shift and knew that they were now a blazing red, and the Darkling snarled before crouching in a defensive manner.

"You're too late, vampire." It hissed. "She's mine, half her soul is already threaded with mine; you might as well let me finish the transfer completely."

"She was never yours, and never will be." Aido growled, crouching like a prowling panther.

"Then who did she belong to? _You?_" It edged closer, and Aido locked his eyes on its throat. He couldn't take it anymore; Sansa's scent swirled in his mind like poison, and he saw flashes of her before his eyes. Her lips on his, soft and encouraging before turning desperate. Her fingers in his hair, gentle and warm. Her eyes on his, greener than the leaves of trees during high summer and as innocent and sweet as a bird's. Her hair, the colour of a raven, the colour of Kuro's feathers. He saw her, alive and breathing, that vampire beauty about her more human than he had ever imagined. And she _did _belong to him, she always had, from the moment he had lifted her _Little Red Riding Hood _bookto comment on the very first night he'd met her. And, even more bewildering, he knew he belonged to her; that was why he could feel his heart tearing itself into shreds in his chest.

He threw himself at the creature that in turn went sailing through the air to meet him, as agile as a cat. His hands connected with its almost flawless skin, and he felt his fingertips burn with a chill he wasn't even aware he was controlling. It screamed, a piercing sound in his ears that would have made him wince, and the pair toppled to the grass in a fumble of tangled limbs. Its left arm was frozen, nothing more than a block of ice. In the struggle, Aido glared at her arm—which exploded and took the thing's arm with it.

Beyond the howl of the creature he now had pinned to the ground, Aido heard yet another shriek that broke through the darkness, followed by a terrible crack. Before he could look up, a hand yanked down on his hair, hard and painful. Aido found himself staring into the enraged black holes of the Darkling, and even though they had no true gateway to a soul, he saw a variety of emotions.

Enragement, desperation… _fear. _

Its blood, blacker than ink, soaked the earth where her arm had just a moment ago been severed. He could smell it, a strong pang of rot and poison, and to his horror, Sansa. The thing hadn't been lying; Sansa's soul was already riding within its veins, the smell of sugar, mint and earth hitting him like a slap. He froze, and the creature grinned. Its eyes began to change, flickering, flame-like red flecks beginning to glow vividly against the black. He couldn't look away; it was like his eyes were frozen to the point that he couldn't even blink.

And then he felt pain. Agony. It was like his head was splitting in two, his brain melting while his skull cracked. He screamed, his eyes clenching shut as he threw himself away from the monster. He collapsed to the ground, quivering and screaming as the creature stood over him, smiling sweetly through its blood-soaked face. The pain didn't vanquish, but grew more intense to the point he couldn't even see anymore, couldn't even feel. He felt himself slipping away, his body exploding with anguish, and a small part of his begged for it.

"Send my regards to my little Forsaken." A voice cooed, close and gentle. It began to laugh, a sound as delicate as bells, when it suddenly cried out. Aido's eyes snapped open; the pain was gone, as if it had evaporated. He coughed up blood and rolled onto his back, his blood singing and his head forming into the mother of all headaches. Utterly spent, he weakly turned his head to where the Darkling was howling―and gasped.

It was on its knees, its remaining arm outstretched before it. The skin there, once pale and as delicate as glass, appeared to be cracking, revealing a black undercoat. From the cracks, smoke began to rise, and Aido somehow knew that the creature was burning from the inside out. The cracking of its skin began to escalate, travelling to her throat and her face. Her cries were not of pain, though, but of despair and Aido was sure he could see black tears riding down her cheeks. It looked up, face distraught, and locked gazes with Aido.

"Help me..." it croaked. Aido sat up, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and looked at it with controlled hate.

"Rot in hell." he said, and the creature howled, lifting its face to the sky as its skin began to fall away like shards of glass. The smoke around it began to grow thicker before consuming it completely, hiding it from view. Seconds, maybe minutes, passed, because Aido watched it burst into flames. He tasted rot in his mouth followed by its ungodly smell, and finally he had to look away.

His eyes latched onto Sansa, who was staring right back at him.

* * *

Sansa watched as Aido gasped and crawled his way to her, looking weak and spent. She wanted to reach out to him, to touch his face or his hair, but she couldn't even twitch a finger. Her body was paralyzed with pain, Astrea still embedded in her gut, and even she knew she had very little time left. She had always feared death beneath her hard wall of defence, but right now, with the dark cloud closing in on her, she wasn't afraid. She wanted death to take her, accepted that it would, because at least she could die knowing she had saved one good life and ended an evil one.

"S-Sansa..." Aido croaked, finally reaching her. He had dried blood on his bottom lip, though the wound had already healed. He had several gashes on his face, arms and middle, his once clean white shirt now stained with blood. She knew better than to worry. He would have already healed, but the evidence of pain was hard to take. He was still shaking, his eyes empty and devoid of anything but fear. He reached for her hand, twining their fingers together, and she choked on a sob because she couldn't feel it.

She coughed, tasting blood. "Aido... A-are you o-okay...?"

He waved her off. "Never mind me. We have to get you back to the academy, we have to heal you―"

"No." she said, her voice thick. "It's... too late... for that." She tried to smile, but wasn't sure if she'd succeeded. She focussed on his eyes, seeing herself, and though she was indeed smiling, it wasn't without a trickle of blood escaping the corner of her mouth. Aido made a sound, a pained noise, and she realised he was holding back tears.

"You can't die," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not when you've come this far."

"I can," she whispered. "It's what I was... destined for."

"Sansa―"

"Do you know... how it died? The Darkling... I mean." She felt herself drifting, floating on the water's surface, and knew she had very little time now. When Aido shook his head, she struggled to get the words out in a fluent motion. "I did it... I killed it. It stole... half of my soul... so I used it against it..." She smiled another bloody smile. "She thought I was... dead. She thought she'd... won. Now I know why... Darklings have to kill... the Forsaken before they... can take their souls. If they live... they can do what _I _did."

Aido was crying now, not bothering to hold back anymore, and Sansa felt her heart tear in two. "And look at the price you had to pay."

"It was worth it." she said strongly. "I burned that bitch... from the inside. I made it feel the pain... it forced on us. I made it beg me for death. It knew what was happening. It knew I was doing it."

"Remind me to never get on the wrong side of you." Aido said with a tiny smile. She wanted to laugh but it hurt, and seeing her pain, Aido bent down and brushed his lips against hers. She wasn't if she dreamt it or if it was real, but welcomed it all the same. She tried to kiss him back, and with some effort managed it. She tasted blood, tears and Aido, and when he pulled away slowly, she was smiling and crying.

Suddenly, Yuki was beside Aido, her face red and blotchy with tears. She had a bruise forming on her right cheek, and she had gashes on her throat, looking sore and angry. Sansa's lips parted, meaning to ask what happened, when suddenly a number of faces were around her; Zero, Kaname, Ichijo, Ruka, Rima, Senri, Ishio, and to her astonishment, Koemi. Koemi looked to be struggling to even stand, Zero holding her close against him to steady her. Her face was bloody, and on closer inspection, Sansa saw a pool of blood emanating from her middle, leaking through her fingers.

Sansa meant to say something, but no words came. She didn't have the strength to speak anymore, and instead choked on her blood while her tears blinded her. All these faces, all these people who had helped her one way or another, were soon to vanish from her grasp for the rest of eternity. She wasn't afraid of death, but that didn't mean she wanted to die. She wanted to spent the rest of her free days with these people, wanted to continue her laughs and banter, wanted to know what life would throw in their paths.

One more face appeared, familiar and loving, and the others all bowed their heads and parted aside from Yuki and Zero. Aido's fingers abandoned her own reluctantly, and Sansa felt colder than ever. She gazed up at the face, who's in turn was also streaked with tears.

"Father..." she whispered. "I... I don't want to die... not yet..." It took everything she had to say those words, and the following were the last she was able to speak. "I love you..."

Kaien Cross dropped to the floor, reached for Sansa's face, and shushed her as quietly as he did when he comforted her as a child. Sansa ached to feel his touch, regretting the last eight or so years of never appreciating them. Yuki sobbed openly and bent over her, placing her forehead against her chest, while Zero put on a brave face as he stroked Sansa's hair gently. His eyes spoke out his anguish, though. Unable to take it anymore, Sansa shut her eyes and took a last, shuddering breath, a spark of pain igniting from her middle. She released said breath, and then nothing.

The last feeling that came from her was a burning in her wrist, and then she died, surrounded by family and friends, who all bowed their heads while the Cross family grieved while the sun began to rise in the distance.

All but Kaname Kuran.

* * *

**Don't kill me.**


	26. Undead

**AAAAHHHH not finished yet you guys! How easily fooled you are! ;)**

* * *

Returning Sansa's body to the academy was a walk of pure emotional agony. Aido carried her dead weight, a groom carrying his deceased bride. She felt so cold against his arms despite the coverage of his sleeves, and his jacket hung over her like a makeshift blanket. But what was worse than anything else was to hear nothing but silence from her; no voice, no movement... no heartbeat. It took all he had not to just break down and hold her tiny form, to hug her close and whisper a thousand apologies. But he couldn't do that. He had to get her home, and if not for her then for her family.

Yuki walked quietly beside Aido, head down and her small hands folded in front of her. It wasn't hard to tell that she was still crying; he could smell the salt of her tears. He wasn't fond of Yuki, not even a little bit, but in that moment he pitied her more than he would ordinarily like to admit. Sansa had meant the world to her, and vice versa, and whether he liked it or not Yuki knew Sansa better than anyone. To see her this sad, this... _lonely, _was more than Aido could bear. It made everything more real.

"Forgive me." he whispered, resting his lips on Sansa's head. Yuki turned to look at him, and her eyes glistened.

"There is nothing to forgive." Though her voice was indeed croaky, it was strong, and Aido looked at her head on with sad surprise. She sighed, looking back at her feet. "Sansa wouldn't want me to be angry with you. You tried."

"And failed. I _failed _her." His own voice cracked and he swallowed hard. Yuki gazed at him with an unnerving blankness.

"We all did." she whispered, and lapsed back into her solemn silence. Zero appeared then, and very gently reached for Yuki's shoulder to veer her away from Aido, or more likely, Sansa's body. The other boy dropped a low nod in Aido's direction, and Aido believed it was a sign of mutual respect. The pair drifted into the small crowd behind him, shielded away by the other vampires. Among them, the Vampire Hunter Koemi was unconscious, her wound overpowering, and was being carried by Ichijo. Aido hoped she wouldn't die; she'd tried to protect Sansa as much as he had.

A pale, long fingered hand appeared in Aido's line of vision and tenderly stroked the locks of Sansa's midnight hair. He looked up to the face of a grieved Kaien Cross, his eyes red and swollen behind his glasses. He looked exactly like any father who just lost a child, related or not. Aido watched him as the slowly walked towards the main body of the stairs leading to the academy, and for a while the headmaster said nothing. Then he stopped, just before the first step, and locked gazes with Aido.

"May I?" he said in a rough voice, and held out his arms.

Aido, without a thought, carefully folded Sansa into her father's arms, resting her head against the other man's shoulder, face turned away and covered by her hair. The headmaster choked on a sob and his face quickly became firm, and with a curt nod, he began to lead the group up the stairs and towards the gates. Aido followed, looking down at his feet to avoid looking at Sansa's dangling arms and legs. He could feel his heart in his chest as dead weight, a rock pulled down my gravity, trying to force him to his knees.

He wouldn't let that happen. Not yet.

The gates opened, and on the other side stood his cousin, retraining Kana despite the girl's broken leg. She was saying something, something about needing to help, and Akatsuki's calm, almost bored protests. Upon arrival they looked up, and Kana made a small cry of shock while Akatsuki's eyes widened with disbelief.

"_Sansa!"_ Kana yelled and made to reach her sister, but she screamed and fell when her leg twisted in a nauseating way.

"Get her to the infirmary, for the love of God!" someone from the crowd behind Aido bellowed, and Aido would recall later that it was Zero. Akatsuki, though apparently stunned, made for Kana and lifted her effortlessly off the ground and over his shoulder, careful to avoid her leg. The girl screamed in protest.

"Rin, is she dead? Is she gone?" she was saying.

"Yes." Aido said clearly, boldly even. "And so is Sansa. I hope you're happy." He thought to himself that he sounded dead. He watched the human girl suddenly go slack, most likely with shock, before Akatsuki carried her away, but not without a look back in his direction. To Aido's surprise, he looked upset.

The following few minutes went by in a blur. The headmaster ordered his remaining children back to his living space, to which they did little in arguing. They couldn't even look at Sansa anymore, not that Aido could blame them; he could practically smell their anguish. Aido distantly heard Kaname order the Night Class students, and with a longing glance at the girl still in her father's arms, began to follow. Ruka waited for him, her expression sombre, and gently reached for his hand and squeezed. Aido closed his eyes, willing his tears away for just a little bit longer.

"Not you, Hanabusa." Kaname said slowly, his gaze hot on Aido's back. Aido froze and turned, meeting his wise friend's gaze. Ruka's hand slipped from his, and without another word she left, head bowed. Aido moved slowly, feeling like he was floating, and deeply wished that for once he could be left alone. He avoided the gazes of Kaname and the headmaster, and instead locked his eyes on Sansa horribly pale, bloody fingers handing from her side.

"Is there something you need?" he said, sounding miles away.

"Yes, a promise." Kaname said. "Other than Kaien, you are the only one to be let in on this secret."

Aido looked up then, his eyes big. "Sansa―"

"_Is _dead, and will remain dead. But not in the way many believe." Kaname said, as if it made perfect sense.

"I don't understand."

"You and I are alive, headmaster Cross is alive, all of us are alive with beating hearts." Kaname explained. "We all have souls. Sansa, though I hoped it wouldn't resort to it, has only half a soul." The pureblood reached for Sansa's dangling arm and lifted it, revealing a bandaged wrist. Slowly he unravelled the bloodied bandage, peeling it away from the skin, and Aido was sure he took a sharp intake of breath. Two puncture wounds on the inside of her wrist, still bleeding ever so slightly, embedded her skin like a pair of eyes.

"Please, Lord Kaname, tell me you didn't..." Aido said, but a guilt joy jumped in his gut.

"I did. I bit her when she was unconscious after the last time she passed out. I feared that her days were numbered; the smell of death was thick on her like a second aroma. I couldn't risk her death, not when it would cause Yuki so much pain."

_Of course, _Aido thought. _Everything he does is always for Yuki. _

"And, with any luck, she will wake and be terribly thirsty." Kaname finished.

"You've turned her into a Level E." Aido said simply, his momentary hope soon shattering. And, after a thought, he realised he was suddenly angry. Grieved and _angry. _What _right _did Kaname have to change Sansa, when all she had ever wanted was to be _human? _He looked to the headmaster, who in turn was staring down at his daughter in his arms. Upon close inspection, he looked no happier than Aido felt.

"We will worry about that later. Right now we must take her somewhere where she can wake peacefully." Kaname said.

"We will worry about that _now. _Sansa would rather die than become a monster. Do you realise what you've done? Besides, she could be asleep for months! The transformation takes too long, and is excruciating! You're being cruel to her!" Aido found himself yelling, tears welling up in his eyes without his permission. He felt sick, sick and ashamed of Kaname. Why would he do this, just for a stupid human girl like _Yuki? Why?! _

"The transformation will take no more than two days, Hanabusa. Her blood is different; Forsaken blood latches on to whatever enters its system. Forsaken are bonding creatures, both emotionally and physically. She has already begun to change; look at her skin."

Aido looked. Her skin was growing paler, but not the paleness that was carried by death. It was a glowing kind of pale, like his own skin, and her veins were a fair blue in her wrists in contrast. "How do you know this?"

"Doni." Was all Kaname said. Later, Aido would learn that Kaname summoned Doni not because he was a servant, but because he wanted to learn about the Forsaken for Sansa's benefit.

Slowly, Aido raised his head and looked directly at Kaname, his rage a harsh boil beneath his skin. Somehow, his voice remained steady. "She will never forgive you for this," he said. "and neither will I."

Kaname nodded. "I never expected you to."

* * *

The first thing Sansa knew was that she was dead. She knew by the lack of movement in her chest, resulting in the stillness of her heart. Instead all she felt was a heaviness in her chest, cold and suffocating, which resulted in her following act. She gasped, breathing in air that she soon choked on. To breathe meant pain, her lungs protesting oxygen rather than welcoming it. Finally, as she choked on air, she nearly cried out with the immense pain in her throat, a burning sensation.

Bolting upright, she clawed at her throat as if trying to free herself from a noose, but her fingers grasped nothing. No, the burning was on the inside, a raging need for something she couldn't understand. It was like thirst on a hot day, only ten times more intense. One hand at her throat and the other at her heart, she began to call out, but her voice was nothing more than an inaudible whisper.

Suddenly, arms were around her, a voice gentle in her ear. She tried to listen, and could hear with an intense clarity, from the tone levels to the vibrations in the speaker's throat. She opened her eyes, seeking the speaker, and then found herself squinting against the intense vibrancy of the room.

_What's wrong with me? _She thought in a daze.

"Sansa... Sansa. I need you to listen to me. You're in a very delicate state..."

She found herself struggling, her palms connected with a solid, warm form in front of her. She pushed, and the person appeared to stagger; she heard the slam of each foot hit the ground as they fell back. Sansa yelped and jumped up, backing up until her back hit a wall, and she looked around like a wild animal.

For a moment, everything was blurred. She couldn't pick out a single object until she focussed her attention on it; bare walls painted a simple cream, glazed with white here and there where the paint tone was uneven. A wardrobe, tall and made of oak, glossed over so that it shined against anything else. The floor coated in a plane white carpet, each fibre distinct and delicate to her eyes even from here. A bed on which she stood on, the covers ruffled, strands of her own dark hair vibrant against the white fabric. And then―

Blue. Blue like the water protecting and feeding a reef, warm and beautiful against the morning sun. Golden hair shining, each strand swept into single perfect locks. Skin pale and glowing, smooth and unblemished. This beautiful face, this angel, was looking at her with deep concern, but she hardly noticed. His throat was alight with blue veins, pulsing against his flesh, and Sansa found that the burning in her throat only intensified at the sight of it. If she looked hard enough, she could even see the flow of blood within this man's neck.

She felt forward, not thinking, and the man caught her. She expected him to push her away, but instead he guided her head to his throat, whispers of encouragement like music to her ears. She licked her lips, and gasped painfully when she cut her tongue on a pair of incredibly sharp canines. That didn't stop her. As if by instinct, she pressed her lips to the tender skin of this man's neck and ran of tongue along it, making the being shiver against her. Sansa opened her mouth, teased the neck with the tip of her fangs, but something inside her urged her not to. It was short lived.

"Please." whispered the angel, his hands on her waist and tugging her closer. She wouldn't deny him. Slowly, blissfully, she sank her fangs into the flesh, all the while teasing the angel's hair with one hand while the other trailed down his chest. Distantly she thought she shouldn't be touching him like this, but another insisted that it was only right.

And then the blood came. When the pain in her throat became too much, the blood surged down her throat like water sizzling out the fire. She moaned loudly and sagged against the angel, who held her close to him. She drank like it was the last thing she would ever do, all the while the angel picking her up, her legs tight around his waist. She felt him fall to the floor, her own form straddling him, and still she drank, unable to stop, not wanting to stop. She had never tasted anything so wonderful before, so sweet and pure. She wanted it, all of it.

"That's enough, Sansa." the angel whispered gently, urging her to move away. Sansa made a noise of protest, but again couldn't deny this beautiful man, and pulled back, licking away access blood. Gingerly she opened her eyes―

And screamed.

This wasn't an angel. No, this was far from an angel. This was Aido. Suddenly disgusted, Sansa staggered away, her hand to her mouth. She bumped into the bed, spun, and staggered to the ground, weeping in both fear and anger. What the hell had she just done? Had she just... _drank Aido's blood? _Like a _vampire?_ Again she began to grope at both her neck and throat, and ran her tongue along the top row of her teeth, and then looked at Aido in a panic.

"W-what...!"

"Shh, shh." Aido said, and came rushing towards her, falling to his knees like a prisoner surrendering. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never wanted this for you, I never wanted you to have this life. Lord Kaname... he bit you. He changed you to... to save your life." he said in a rush, apparently also panicking. "Forgive me, please forgive me..."

"I... I'm a _vampire?_" she whispered, not wanting to believe it. She looked around again, absorbing the light, the dark, the mid-tones. She listened to the inhumanly slow, steady beat of Aido's heart, the flow of his blood, the intake and release of each breath. She smelled the air; wood, sunlight, blood and Aido, who was all light and sugar and metal.

"Say something..." Aido whispered, like a child.

"My heart... It's not beating... why isn't it beating?" she croaked.

Aido was quiet for a long moment, and Sansa wished he would touch her again. He seemed to be withholding himself now, being careful, and she didn't want him to be. "You died, Sansa. That Darkling stole half of your soul after stabbing you in the stomach. After you destroyed it, you died." He swallowed, and Sansa knew he had not wanted to relive this memory. She wasn't at all happy listening to it. "We brought you home, and Kaname told me what he did to you. I _hate _him for it, I promise you that. But he told me that being what you are, your blood bonded with the transformation slowly developing in your system and made it happen faster. But, being with only half a soul, the living part of you is still dead, while the spiritual part still lives."

"So I'm... I'm one of the... living dead." she whispered, mostly to herself, still feeling for a heartbeat that she now knew she wouldn't find.

"Not 'one of the', but the _only_ one." Finally he reached towards her and cupped her face in his hands, which were cool to the touch. "You're the first of your kind." He sighed, his breath heavy and drained. He had never looked so tired before, and the shadows beneath his eyes suggested he hadn't slept in days. "I'm so sorry, Sansa."

Sansa reached up, her fingers trembling, and traced the features of Aido's face. He closed his eyes when she touched him, tracing the outline of his eyes, his cheekbones, his jaws, his lips. He felt so perfect beneath her fingers, strong and secure, the only thing right among everything that was so terribly wrong. If she could even cry, she would have done right then, but being dead stopped her from even showing her anguish.

But seeing Aido suffer was even more to bear. Not knowing what to do, she pulled down on him, tucking his head to her chest. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against him, and he began to chant a number of apologies while she sobbed tearlessly into his hair. They sat like fir a long, long time, silent and encased in one another, seeking comfort from each other that wasn't possible any other way.

Finally, Sansa said, "I'm going to turn into a Level E."

"No." Aido said, pulling back and placing his head against hers. "If you drink the blood of a pureblood, you will stay just as you are."

"And become loyal only to Kaname." She blinked, gazing at him sadly. "I don't want to be loyal to him. I don't want to be his pet."

"He won't do that. Kaname is cruel but not that cruel." He pulled her close, stroking her hair soothingly. "No matter what happens, you're mine, Sansa. You belong to no one but me, if you'll let me have you."

"I have always been yours, you idiot." Sansa whispered, and to her relief, Aido chuckled. Without another word he pressed his mouth to hers, and for a second Sansa went still. He smelled and tasted so much stronger than she remembered, and if she could still breathe, it would have taken her breath away. Soon enough she melted into the kiss the way she knew how, the way her human self knew how. It was short but perfect, a distraction from this new world she had been born into, and it was all she needed to calm down if it was just for a little while.

A knock at the door pried them apart but not without reluctance. Clearly his throat, Aido beckoned the visitor inside while he got to his feet, pulling Sansa with him. It was Ruka, and Aido automatically placed himself in front of Sansa as if to protect her from his cousin. She couldn't blame him; she and Ruka had never seen eye to eye, not really.

The vampire girl cleared her throat, unable to not look at Sansa. "Lord Kaname would like to see you, Sansa. He is in the hall."

Curtly Aido nodded, and taking Sansa's hand he led her from the room. She followed him in a daze, still adjusting to her newly heightened senses, but what surprised her more was Ruka. The other girl reached out, grabbed her fingers and squeezed, before smiling at Sansa. Then Aido led Sansa down the hall, having missed the tiny exchange, and Ruka watched them walk away with a small smile on her face.

* * *

"Sansa, I see you are doing remarkably well having just woken up." Kaname Kuran said. The hall, or as Sansa had come to know it, the training hall, was still as large and as beautiful as she remembered, but brighter somehow. She couldn't help but gaze at the paintings on the ceilings, and distantly wondered if she, a walking dead, would be painted among the other ranks. It was doubtful.

"Hardly." she said, and not without bitterness. Kaname stood in the centre of the hall, alone and somehow not as menacing. He looked calm, even smiling a little, like he was proud of himself for what had been created out of her. It annoyed her to no end.

"I understand. I see you've fed," she stiffened at that, the taste of Aido's blood suddenly strong in her mouth. He too, still hand in hand with her, went still, but Kaname merely waved it off. "Don't fret, it was to be expected. Though after a while you will need to be more discrete."

"Sansa, I'm sure you've noticed that your sense have heightened by a remarkable amount. They will be even stronger than ours, though not by much. Half of your natural abilities were consumed by the Darkling, but you still remain incredibly powerful. Now that you're a vampire, your abilities will not become a threat to you."

"Also, you will be transferred to the Night Class once you have settled into your new skin. Two months should be enough time. We will wean you onto blood tablets, and train you to keep control of your thirst and abilities. And, every six months should you need it, you will consume my blood to prevent you from turning into a Level E."

"Gee, just a walk in the park, then." Sansa spat. His arrogance infuriated her, yet she found it much easier to control in this new body of hers. Her emotions were more in check, completely within her control rather than loose and wild like that of a human. She felt... sure of herself. "What about my family, Kaien, Zero and Yuki?"

"You will see them once it is safe for you to do so." Kaname said. "For now, I suggest you rest; it is morning, and you are a creature of the night now." Kaname looked to Aido, who seemed to refuse to say a word. It took Sansa a moment to realize he was keeping control of his anger through silence; she could smell his fury, like sweet smoke. She wondered if he would ever look at Kaname the same way again. "Hanabusa, Sansa is now your responsibility. You will teach her everything she needs to know for the next two months, and she is to be under your watch at all times."

Aido said nothing, only nodded.

"Good, that will be all." Kaname nodded for their leave, and Aido began to steer Sansa away. She stayed put, though, and glared at Kaname for a long time, who stared back at her with mild interest.

"You may have saved my life, but you are dead to me." she snarled. He didn't even blink.

"I apologize for my actions, Sansa." he said. "One day I hope you will understand why I did what I did."

Vicious words hung at the tip of her tongue then, but she swallowed them down harshly. Before another word could be shared, Aido whisked her way from the room, and once the doors closed behind them dropped a chaste kiss on her head.

"Good girl." he murmured, and she smiled.

A few minutes later, they found themselves back in the room they had come from. Sansa finally took time to see what she was wearing; a nightdress, whiter than snow, the skirt made of lace. If she were still alive, she could have blushed. Seeing no point in dwelling on it, she climbed into bed and pulled the sheets to her chin, shivering. Aido gazed down at her for a long moment before bending to kiss her forehead, and she felt his lips quiver.

"Aido?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't leave me. Don't ever leave me." She grabbed hold of his hand, making a point, and he looked at her with a look of confusion. Then he blushed, and she knew she was going to miss doing that. She supposed there was no point in dwelling on what had already been done, but if she was left alone, she was sure she'd break down. She could already feel the despair bubbling to life in the stillness of her heart. Aido deliberated for a moment, rubbing his thumb reassuringly against her hand, until finally he sighed. Wearing only jeans and a plant t-shirt, and pulled the covers back and climbed in beside her.

When he made no move to touch her, Sansa urged him to wrap his arms around her and hold her. She wanted nothing else but to know he was there, close to her, alive and breathing. Like everything else, he was a polar opposite to her now. He was light and she was dark. He was mischievous whereas she was kind. He was tough and she was gentle. He was alive and she was dead.

He leaned over her and kissed her temple. "Everything will be okay." he told her. "I promise."

She was still for a moment, and then rolled in his arms to face him. She peered up at him, stricken by his vibrant beauty, the sun and sea in the form of a boy, and for a little while she was content. "I believe you." she whispered, and fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

**One more chapter after this and then it is indeed over! Prepare your goodbyes :(**


	27. Epilogue

**Last Chapter you guys! *cries***

* * *

Two months went by both fast and slowly.

Sansa felt like a ballet dancer spinning, both gracefully and out of control, falling apart from her body and twirling in a world of blurry madness; at least that's how it felt for the first few weeks. It began as a routine, intense but soon to become familiar. Waking up at the sudden fall of dusk, a burn in her throat so intense it made her cry out. Aido would allow her to feed, but it just wasn't enough at first. He tasted wonderful, but she just couldn't be satisfied unless she let herself go and kill him completely. He assured her that it would pass, that she would be able to control herself and be weaned onto blood tablets. She wasn't so sure. And if she wasn't hungry, she was distracted, like a baby trying to take in all the dazzling colours in bright lights. She felt trapped, even with Aido's reassurance and guidance. For a few weeks, she thought she was going to go mad.

Then things began to slow down. And with that slowness, things began to take shape, the world became lighter, and the spinning took on a grace that she could dance to. She'd wake up without the dry cry for blood, and she would feel weightless. The heaviness of her still heart went away over time, and sometimes she didn't feel for its beat, or listen for it. Aido taught her to try and breathe, despite her lack of need for it. At first it hurt, her lungs seeming too tight to take the extra pressure, but like everything else she eased into it. She didn't breathe when she didn't have to, but when in the company of humans, she knew she would have to in order to seem... normal.

Since the day of her... revival, Aido remained sharing the same bed as her. He never touched her romantically, only held her in a protective iron grip, his breath warm on her neck. In the beginning, it was the only thing that kept her grounded, the only thing real against the insanity of what she had become. She'd sleep in lands of darkness, no dreams touching her, and it was oddly safe.

Sansa found that she no longer dreamt anymore, not even a little. Instead she remained aware of the conscious world. It was like being stuck in a dark hole yet hearing, smelling and sometimes feeling everything that lay beyond; the distant chirps of snoozing birds, the rustle of branches, the warmth of Aido's arms around her, the smell of him. She found that, though she missed dreaming, it was far more reassuring.

This morning, though, she woke alone. The mattress felt cold and uncomfortable, the sheets not offering comfort to her skin. She rolled, hoping to seek Aido beside her, but he was nowhere to be seen. Rubbing her eyes and ignoring the irritable smoulder in her throat, she blinked against the dimming light in the room. Even dusk was too intense for her at times, the brightness that used to soothe her now burning her eyes for several minutes. She sat patiently, rubbing her eyes, and once she could finally open them, a knock came against the door.

Ruka walked in, a small smile on her face. "Good evening." she said, gently closing the door behind her. She stood still for a moment, regarding Sansa silently, her expression odd. Sansa, now with her both Forsaken and vampire sight, could appreciate her beauty a lot more. She could see that her tender brown eyes were often sad, a strange longing lodged deep in their depths. Sansa could see the glass delicateness of her skin, like her own, and the red of her lips contrasted greatly. She looked like a very sad angel.

"Is something wrong?" Sansa asked at last. Ruka smiled, looking down at her feet.

"It's strange," she said. "Since you came back, you glow much more now. You look healthy." She let out a breathy laugh, her eyes roaming the room. "Listen to me, talking nonsense. I'm here for a reason." Her tone took on a serious edge, and Sansa found herself going rigid. "Your father is here to see you. I came to check if you were fit to see him."

Sansa, despite herself, caught her breath. She hadn't heard nor seen Kaien since she died, having been locked up in the Moon Dorm for her own good. She'd wondered what he would think of her as a vampire, wondered if he still loved her. And what of Zero and Yuki? Did they still believe she was dead? Did they know what she was, and hate her for it? Did they still consider her _family? _

"Sansa?"

Sansa blinked and stood. "I-I think I am fit to see him." she said a little distantly. Ruka drifted towards her, and before Sansa knew it, Ruka stood behind her, her fingers within the long strands of her hair. Sansa stood still, unsure of what to do, while Ruka brushed out her hair with her fingers, eventually pulling it back into a ponytail.

"I wanted to apologize." Ruka said at last. "For my behaviour towards you before. It's just that you... frightened me. You're so different, so unique, you just scared me. But then I saw what you did, saving Aido and dying for it, and I wondered why I was so frightened of you. I regret it, you know. I hope you can forgive me."

Sansa was quiet for a moment, and slowly turned to face Ruka. "I was scared of myself." she told her. "So I know how you felt. I don't think there's anything to forgive."

Ruka smiled, and picked out an outfit for Sansa to wear.

* * *

Ruka apparently thought that a black skater dress would suit her nicely, simple but pretty. Not having the energy to argue, Sansa wore it, and it indeed fitted her nicely, even showing off a little bit of curves. Nervous, the heaviness in her chest indicating a ghost of a fluttering heartbeat, Sansa descended the stairs. Not unexpectedly, two of the Night Class students accompanied her on either side, Ishio on the left and Senri on the right. At first she thought it would be unnecessary, but then she smelt him, and regretted her earlier doubts.

Kaien Cross smelt sweet and sour both at the same time. It was like a sugar ball coated in sour powder, something in his blood not quite right. She thought about it in order to distract herself, and when she remembered he used to be a Vampire Hunter, she assumed that that must have been it. She swallowed down her thirst, straightened her shoulders, and went to face her someone dreading moment.

He looked the same. Brighter, more vivid, but the same nonetheless. His hair in its usual ponytail, his glasses still pushed up the bridge of his nose, his eyes still warm and welcoming. He was even wearing his friendly smile, but his nervousness didn't go amiss in his scent. Sansa nearly laughed; his general scent was of strawberries.

"Sansa," he said, and Sansa heard the little jump in his voice that not even a normal vampire could hear. "you look well."

Sansa didn't reply. She reached the last step, and in a split second, she flitted to her father before a blink could even take place. Someone behind her made a sound of protest, but it was too late. Sansa tightly wrapped her arms around Kaien's middle, hugging him while she wept tearlessly into his chest. Almost immediately he folded his arms around her and squeezed, burying his face in her hair as he held her. He was as familiar to her as he was different, warm and solid and loving, but she heard and smelled more of him that she could hold dear; the sound of his steady heart, the flow of luscious blood, the smell of strawberries and something else entirely, a mix of dirt and rust. He was everything she had always had, and everything she never thought she would have again.

"I missed you." she whimpered.

"And I you, silly girl." he said, and his voice trembled a little. "You're still my little girl." He released her and crouched, gathering her face in his hands. He stared intently at her, searching her face as if looking for flaws. For a while his expression gave nothing away, but the smell of relief was intense around her.

"I'm sorry." Sansa said before she could stop herself.

"_Sorry?_ Sansa, you've done nothing wrong!"

"I should have been stronger." she mumbled, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "When I fought the Darkling. I should have never listened to it." She had told Kaname everything she remembered, and not without reluctance. She could only assume that he had passed on the story to Kaien, and judging by the look on his face, she was correct.

"That creature was cruel and manipulative. Its only goal was to destroy you. I can't blame you for not killing it faster than you did; it was strong, stronger than you. And no one can take away the fact that you have a caring heart, which only makes you human."

"But I'm not human," she said sadly. "Not anymore."

"That doesn't take away the fact that you are my daughter, even if blood doesn't tie us."

For a moment they were quiet, Sansa's eyes closed as she absorbed his words. She smelled the other two vampires, and seeming to share the same thought, Kaien spoke out to them.

"You may go to your class, I believe Sansa is stable enough." he told them kindly. Sansa didn't have to open her eyes to know that they left without much hesitation. It was strange, really. Everyone here appeared to have a lot of faith in her, and were much kinder to her now that she was a vampire. Perhaps she had gained their respect, perhaps she was just merely another member of their kind. Either way, she appreciated their kindness and often generous faith in her. It made her indeed feel more stable.

She opened her eyes, and Kaien smiled down at her. Taking her elbow, he led her to the bottom step and sat, pulling her down with him. Again they were quiet, and Sansa found that she couldn't keep the names from falling free any longer.

"Yuki and Zero?" she asked. "Do they―"

"They know." he said simply, staring ahead.

"... And?"

"Well, at first they didn't want to believe it. Yuki cried for days, and Zero locked himself in the stables with that damn stallion of his. The idea of you being a vampire seemed worse than they idea of you dying. I suppose it hit them hard because they knew how much you didn't want this life."

"I still don't." Sansa said. "But I don't want to die yet, either."

"You never will die, now. You're immortal. You'll be eighteen for the rest of eternity... unless you end your life firsthand." he sounded so sad when he said it, and Sansa didn't want to even think about that yet. Eternity was a long time, and she wasn't ready to comprehend that anymore than the next girl.

"You said 'at first'. How are they now? Do they... hate me?" she said slowly, not knowing if she truly wanted the answer. Kaien took an intake of breath, lifting his face to the ceiling as if asking the heavens for guidance.

"I have been keeping them informed of your condition. What they fear more is the risk of you turning into a Level E, but truthfully, I don't think that will happen. Kaname tells me that you are already beginning to consume blood tablets, and have even begun to appear as human as you were six months ago. He says your... healthy." He smiled then, finally meeting her eyes. "Yuki wants to see you, and Zero hasn't exactly sent you ill wishes. So to answer your question, then no, I don't think they hate you. I don't think they ever will."

She thought for a moment, and finally settled for, "I'm glad." What else was there to say? She was happy that they didn't hate her like they should, but it was also disheartening to know that they will never see her in the same light again. It had taken just hours to split their worlds and stretch them miles apart, from dusk until dawn. That was something that maybe even time could never heal.

"I hear rumour that Hanabusa Aido is... somewhat involved with you." Kaien said after a while, and if Sansa could blush, she would have. She looked at him, horrified, but her father merely laughed at her. "Relax, I am rather pleased for you. That boy has always had a soft spot for you."

"Nothing is actually official between us yet." she said quietly, trapping her hands between her knees. "Everything has just been so hectic that we haven't had chance to... _talk_."

"Perhaps no words need to be spoken." Kaien offered warmly. "Aido thinks the world of you. Just the mention of your name seems to make him brighten. Whatever it is between the two of you, its strong. You didn't see him when you... _passed on. _I thought he was just minutes away from having a meltdown in front of everyone."

"He's a drama queen." she said with a smile, and he laughed.

"Anyway, you have my blessing." he finished, and gently squeezed her shoulder. Suddenly he rose to his feet and strode to one of the sofas, where a square box sat that she hadn't noticed before. He collected it and returned to her, handing her the pain white box.

"Class begins for you in a couple of days," he said. "so I thought it was time you had a uniform." Sansa opened the box, and inside was indeed the entirety of the Night Class uniform, white and black with a single red ribbon. Reality crashed down on her in a heavy heap, and amazingly she was able to smile her thanks.

"Thank you... daddy." she whispered, and he gently kissed her temple.

* * *

At around five in the morning, her eyes terribly heavy after another evening of boredom, Aido and the rest of the Night Class returned from class. He greeted her with a smile, the others diverting the pair and returning to their rooms respectfully. After just a few minutes it was just the two of them, alone in the entrance hall, Sansa on the bottom step of the staircase while Aido remained on the floor. Still he was taller than her, and for once she wasn't annoyed by it.

He leaned towards her and pecked her on the lips, a somewhat natural thing for them both to do now. She wanted him to kiss her more meaningfully, but sometimes the little things were so much better. She smiled, looking at him through dreary eyes, resisting the somewhat unnatural urge to yawn.

"Hi." he said against her mouth, warm and welcome. She made an inaudible sound in response, to which he chuckled. "Bed?"

"Not yet." she murmured, and wrapped her arms around his neck. They fit together as perfectly as jigsaw pieces, and stood so close that the majority of their fronts were touching. She could feel his heartbeat against her own still chest. Almost idly he locked his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck, his fangs gently grazing her throat pleasurably enough that she made a pleased sound.

"Then what would you like to do, sleepy?" he asked her lowly.

"I'd tell you if I could think straight." she said a little distractedly, relishing in the feel of him. He grinned against her skin and pulled back, kissing her slowly on the mouth before resting his forehead against hers. At last he gazed at her with tired but curious eyes.

"Go ahead, m'lady."

She cleared her throat and looked away, suddenly afraid. "I wanted to talk about... us. I mean, are we official? Are we... together?"

Aido made a small sound that sounded like a laugh. "Sansa, I would certainly like to think so. Why, have you been seeing other guys behind my back?"

"What? No!" she looked at him in horror and he laughed again, kissing her forehead.

"I'm joking." he assured her. "But honestly, I would like to think we are. You're all I have ever wanted, and I don't like sharing."

She smiled. "Okay, I just... thought it would be good to get it out there." She tentatively pressed her lips to his collarbone, for his shirt had been tugged loose due to the end of class. He moaned when she began to trail kisses along his throat, up to his jaw and eventually against his lips, to which he responded almost hungrily.

Vampire kisses were much more intense. Every feel, ever taste, every sound, was something intimate to them. Sansa fed off his pleasure, and he did the same to her, while their mouths moved together as if it was the last thing they would ever do. He kissed her long and hard, groaning when she nibbled at his lower lip, and eventually he gasped. Lifting her so that her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, he mumbled something that sounded very much like 'bed' into her mouth, and she could only make a sound of agreement as he carried her up the stairs.

She didn't remember entering the spare room she had been residing in for the last eight weeks. She barely felt Aido lower her to the mattress, nor settle himself above her as he kissed her longingly. She just knew that her entire world consisted of nothing but him, and that she had no desire to let him go, not now, not ever. She met him kiss for kiss, touch for touch, breath for breath. His hands roamed possessively over her body, not exactly gentle which was just fine with her. She'd gone so long without him touching her in the past, so this was more than satisfactory. She didn't even care that this was further than either of them had ever gone. She just relished in the feel on his mouth on hers, on her neck, on her chest. Her body hummed with bliss wherever he touched her, whether it was bear flesh or not.

They didn't go any further than kissing, though. Eventually they grew tired, and tangled in the bed sheets and their limbs tightly intertwined, Aido eventually rested his head against her chest, his body cushioned against hers and keeping her snug to the mattress. She stroked his hair idly, growing more and more sleepy, but she was awake enough to hear the following words fall from his lips.

"I love you, Sansa." he whispered in the growing light. She smiled, kissing his hair. "I've loved you for a while now. I know it's selfish, but... I'm glad you're still here with me, human or not."

"I love you too, Aido." she breathed, her breath tousling a lock of golden hair. "The only reason I'm still sane is because of you. I wouldn't be able to live this life if not for you."

Just when she thought she might drift off to sleep, Aido moved. She moaned in protest, suddenly feeling cold, as Aido climbed from the bed and moved away entirely. She leaned up on her elbows, frowning as she blinked through the rapidly brightening room. He shot her a smirk as he crouched at the end of the bed, retrieving his uniform jacket―when had he taken it off? She would have blushed when she realised it had been her who shrugged it off―and then began to forage through the inside pockets. He made a happy noise when he found what he'd been looking for, and carrying a small item, he returned to the bed.

Sansa sat expectantly, waiting for what he had to show her. He grinned at her as he handed her the box, wrapped delicately in a green ribbon, the box itself black like her hair. Tentatively she opened it, her pale fingers working the ribbon as if too harsh a tug would damage its innocence. Aido played with a lock of her hair, watching her open the gift, his eyes dancing with a look of hope.

She gasped. Inside was a glittering necklace, diamonds shimmering at her in the morning sunlight. The locket, half the side of her already tiny palm, dazzled a perfect emerald, the exact same shade of her eyes in the shape of a heart. She gawped at Aido, speechless, and he simply grinned before retrieving the gift and pursuing to fasten it around her neck. He freed her hair from its hold, brushing back from her shoulders before stroking her face.

"I was going to give it to you for your birthday. I know it's two months late, but now seems a better time than any." He smiled sheepishly, and started a little when Sansa attacked him with a kiss.

"You've been carrying it around with you? All this time?" she asked in amazement, touching the heart now resting in the spot between her collarbones. He too touched it, smiling.

"I didn't want the right opportunity to arise and not have it on me. It seemed adequate to keep it with me." Gently he pushed against her shoulders so that she was lying down again, and he returned to his position with his head on her chest, arms around her tightly, legs intertwined. Feeling suddenly very light, Sansa sighed and nestled herself into him, hugging him tight as she willed sleep to take her once more.

"I love you." he whispered again, seeming closer to sleep now than before.

"And I you." she murmured, and at least, the heart at her throat cold and reassuring, sleep carried her away.

* * *

Two days later, an hour before dusk, Sansa found herself in a room that she now shared with another Night Class member, since she was now officially a part of the Night Class. Her name was Cho Kita, and Sansa would soon learn that she was the girlfriend of Ishio. She seemed pleasant enough, though she looked a little odd. Hair as red as fire and eyes a deep violet, more so than Zero's, and she was just ever so slightly shorter than Sansa. But she was sweet, and welcomed her as her new roommate. Sansa decided that she liked her, too.

Cho came in now as Sansa inspected herself in the full length mirror, dressed in her new uniform minus the jacket. It was exactly the same but negative, blue replaced by white. It was strange, for it oddly suited her, even complimented her. Her dark hair made her face even paler, her eyes all the more vivid, and she somehow found herself liking it. Cho smiled at her, appearing to have the same thought, before handing her a flask of red liquid.

"It's from Lord Kaname." she informed her in her sweet voice. "He thought he'd have you drink from a flask to begin with; it would be uncomfortable for you to drink from him, would it not?"

_Ah, _Sansa thought. _The blood of a pureblood. _She took the flask from her, her throat stinging a little with expectation. She had yet to drink from Kaname, even put it off, because not only did she hate the idea, but so did Aido. There was only one person she was willing to drink from, and even that made her feel like a wreck of guilt in the aftermath. Aido was sometimes just too kind to her. She swallowed against the burn as she opened the flask, not wanting to enjoy the smell despite her nature. She tipped her head back and swallowed the contents, resisting the urge to sigh happily. It tasted wonderful, _pure, _but it lacked the sweetness of Aido's blood. She saw flashes of something, of images, but they lasted no more than a millisecond. Aido had warned her of this; drinking the blood of a pureblood gave access to their minds. Sansa wasn't surprised that, no matter how quickly they went by, she saw Yuki's face among them.

"Better?" Cho asked kindly.

"Much, thank you." Sansa replied, and placed the flask down on a dressing table. Cho smiled and helped her into her jacket, smoothing the fabric on her arms before grinning at her in the reflection.

"It suits you much better than the Day Class uniform." she told her, and then skipped from the room, preparing for the evening class. With one last glance, Sansa followed, touching the heart at her throat from Aido in the hopes to calm her nerves. It did.

Aido met her in the hall and escorted her down the stairs, his hand in hers. He was about to speak when a scent caught her, heavily laced with a dark aroma, like a frosty night time. Aido caught it, too, and frowned, but Sansa was already leaving the building, following the scent. He made to follow her, but she heard a call from his cousin Akatsuki, and for whatever reason, remained behind.

Out in the gardens, the smell grew stronger, now holding the added scent of rot, like that of a Level E. But she didn't panic. She knew now who it was, and she stopped when at last she spotted her. Standing in a small circle of trees was Koemi, dressed all in black, a backpack over her shoulder and her belt heavily armed with weapons. Her eyes were large and sad, that same strange mix of blue and gold. Her blonde hair was pushed up in a high ponytail, and for once, her expression lacked its mocking mask.

"Hello, Sansa." she said.

Sansa nodded in greeting. "Koemi."

"You look... well, like a vampire, I guess." She laughed, and Sansa swore she could hear the nervous vibrations that came with it. "But alive."

"Technically, I'm not." Sansa said with a small smile. "But I'm still here, yes."

"Indeed." Koemi nodded. "Well, I came to say my farewell. I have no place here anymore; you are under no threat of vampires, and the Darkling is gone, and you appear to show no signs of turning to Level E." She frowned then, looking Sansa up and down. "At least, not yet."

"I won't turn, Koemi, I can tell you that much." Sansa told her firmly, somehow not irritated, just forward.

"The threat is still there. You never know; perhaps one day we will meet again, in the final showdown of vampire and hunter." Koemi smirked, her deviousness returning, and Sansa found herself smiling in return.

"Goodbye, Koemi. I look forward to the day we meet again." Sansa said, and Koemi nodded, bowing her goodbye as she turned to leave. Sansa watched her go, listening to the steadiness of her heart vanquish from her ears entirely, only to be replaced by a slower, more recognizable beat.

"Come on." Aido said. "Time to go."

Soon Sansa found herself before the gates that led from the Moon Dorm, the screams of the Day Class on the other side loud and irritating. Among it Sansa listened for her siblings, who were indeed there, shouting and cursing at the ditzy teenage girls. Sansa suddenly felt nervous, and Aido squeezed her hand reassuringly. She looked around, and everyone was shooting her encouraging smiles, even Kaname. She took a deep, meaningless breath, and when it was released, the doors opened.

And silence. Everyone stared at her, murmuring to one another in question. Sansa tried to block it out, searching for the only faces she wanted to see. And she found them. Yuki came towards her, slowly, her arms outstretched. Sansa stopped while the others continued on, Aido reluctantly following his cousins. Sansa stared at Yuki as she approached, inhaling her scent, which was sweet and pure and delicious. She swallowed, distantly thinking that her scent smelled very much like Kaname's blood. It didn't matter. Yuki reached her, and after a brief pause, caught Sansa in a tight hug, seemingly forgetting their audience. Sansa hugged her back, sniffling, her eyes burning as they tried to gather the tears that would never come.

No words were spoken, not one. Yuki released her sister all too soon and stepped back, gesturing for her to continue with teary eyes. Not seeing any other choice, Sansa moved on, but not without catching Zero's eyes to her left. They stared at one another hard, and Sansa took another breath. He smelled like metal, rusty but strong, and there was something else to his scent that she was oddly familiar with. Pushing the thought aside, she tried to smile, and just when she thought he would not return it, he too smiled and bowed his head in greeting.

She let go of a painful breath.

Finally, she spotted a pair of familiar smoky grey eyes staring at her, accompanied by blood red hair. Kana had tears in her eyes, her frame lacking the confidence it once held, and Sansa saw nothing to do but to nod towards her biological sister. Kana, stiffening, nodded back and closed her eyes, and a moment later she drifted away into the crowd.

Sansa continued and rejoined with Aido, who was gazing at her expectantly.

"I'm okay." she assured him. He frowned but didn't push her. Instead he took her hand and led the way, and a moment later he smiled.

"Time for your next story to begin." he told her teasingly. She grinned but shook her head, looking over her shoulder towards her stepsiblings, who had returned to ordering the Day Class back to their dorms.

"No," she said. "My story's over. But I think someone else's is about to begin."

She smiled, and Aido returned the smile. The two drifted towards the main building, blending in to the rest of the Night Class while the moon rose above them, replacing the sun in a silver light, waiting patiently for the night to take over.

Sansa grinned as she entered the building, the doors closing behind her.

* * *

**Thank you so much for all of your support, i've loved writing every chapter of this story because of you guys! **

**Much love, Hollie**


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